Tailoring Hemodialysis Vascular Access in Diabetic Patients

The objective of the study was to investigate which kind of native arterious-venous fistula guaranteed the best results in diabetic patients.

A retrospective case-control study with prospective follow-up was conducted on all consecutive patients undergoing creation of the first native vascular access (VA) at our Institution between January 2011 and December 2016. Patients were divided into 2 groups: diabetics (group A) and nondiabetics (group B), and results were evaluated in accordance with site chosen for VA creation. Primary outcomes were maturation and primary patency rate. Secondary outcomes were complications, rate of functional fistulas, and mortality.

A total of 410 patients (n 155, 37.8% female; n 255, 62.2% male; mean age 64.21 ± 14.85 years, range 58-78) were divided into 2 nonstatistically different groups (group A: n 170, 41.5% and group B: n 240, 58.5%). Maturation and primary patency were statistically different for antebrachial (P = 0,038 and P = 0.044, respectively), but not for brachial access (P = 1 and P = 0.080, respectively) at 3 years. Hyperflow and steal syndrome rate did not differ between the 2 sites and groups. At a mean follow-up of 42.86 months (range 1-72), 5 patients died. Diabetics demonstrated the higher rate of overall complications at the long-term follow-up.

Diabetes mellitus plays a detrimental role in maturation and primary patency of antebrachial fistula; however, brachial fistula results do not differ between diabetic and nondiabetic patients. More robust data and longer-term results from randomized studies are needed to affirm brachial fistula as preferential access in diabetic patients.