Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 26, 2025
Creating Radio-cephalic Arteriovenous Fistula in the Forearm with a Modified No-Touch Technique
Published on: April 1, 2022
Radiocephalic Arteriovenous Fistula Patency and Use: A Post Hoc Analysis of Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trials
Patrick Heindel1,2, Peng Yu1, Jessica D Feliz1,2
1Divisions of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
We sought to confirm and extend the understanding of clinical outcomes following creation of a common distal autogenous access, the radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (RCAVF).
We sought to confirm and extend the understanding of clinical outcomes following creation of a common distal autogenous access, the radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (RCAVF).
Background:
Interdisciplinary guidelines recommend distal autogenous arteriovenous fistulae as the preferred hemodialysis (HD) access, yet uncertainty about durability and function present barriers to adoption.
Methods:
Pooled data from the 2014-2019 multicenter randomized-controlled PATENCY-1 and PATENCY-2 trials were analyzed. New RC-AVFs were created in 914 patients, and outcomes were tracked prospectively for 3-years. Cox proportional hazards and Fine-Gray regression models were constructed to explore patient, anatomic, and procedural associations with access patency and use.
Results:
Mean (SD) age was 57 (13) years; 45% were on dialysis at baseline. Kaplan-Meier estimates of 3-year primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency were 27.6%, 56.4%, and 66.6%, respectively. Cause-specific 1-year cumulative incidence estimates of unassisted and overall RC-AVF use were 46.8% and 66.9%, respectively. Patients with larger baseline cephalic vein diameters had improved primary (per mm, hazard ratio [HR] 0.89, 95% confidence intervals 0.81-0.99), primary-assisted (HR 0.75, 0.64-0.87), and secondary (HR 0.67, 0.57-0.80) patency; and higher rates of unassisted (subdistribution hazard ratio 1.21, 95% confidence intervals 1.02-1.44) and overall RCAVF use (subdistribution hazard ratio 1.26, 1.11-1.45). Similarly, patients not requiring HD at the time of RCAVF creation had better primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency. Successful RCAVF use occurred at increased rates when accesses were created using regional anesthesia and at higher volume centers.
Conclusions:
These insights can inform patient counseling and guide shared decision-making regarding HD access options when developing an individualized end-stage kidney disease life-plan.
