Mid-thigh Arteriovenous Graft in Lower Extremity Vascular Access Construction for Hemodialysis Patients

Patients who receive dialysis rely on vascular access. With advances in hemodialysis technique and dialysis service, the lifespan of patients has increased, but the sites of arteriovenous access in the upper extremities are exhausted after long-term use. In this situation, lower extremity arteriovenous graft is a popular choice by using the common femoral artery over the groin area. Unfortunately, the long-term patency rate is not satisfactory in lower extremity loop graft and there is a high infection rate. We investigated the feasibility of constructing arteriovenous access at the mid-thigh level when the upper extremity vessels are exhausted. [Hong Kong J Nephrol 2007;9(2):86–8