Access flow reduction for cardiac failure

Abstract

High-flow in hemodialysis arteriovenous angioaccesses is frequent. It may result in high-output cardiac failure, which should be prevented by fistula flow reduction. The most frequently reported flow reduction procedure is banding but immediate and long-term results are questionable. Alternative techniques are related here with personal results. Juxta-anastomosis “Proximal Radial Artery Ligation” (PRAL) is a very simple and effective reduction technique for side-to-end radio-cephalic fistulas (82 patients; reduction rate [RR]: 54% ± 19%). For brachial artery-based fistulas flow reduction two variants of Revision Using Distal Inflow (RUDI) procedures are used: 1) RUDI-1 using a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft or a greater saphenous vein, which we first described in 1989 as “Distal Report of the Arterial Inflow” (35 patients; RR: 53% ± 18%), 2) RUDI-2 procedure, “Transposition of the Radial Artery”, which we described in 2009 (47 patients; RR: 66% ± 14%).