MO769: Utility of Doppler Ultrasonography in the Evaluation of Arteriovenous Fistula, a Nephrologists Perspective

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS An arteriovenous (AV) fistula is preferred for long-term haemodialysis vascular access. AV fistula creation requires adequate arterial and venous anatomy to support its creation and a sufficient time interval to allow the AV fistula to mature prior to its use.  Failure to mature remains a problem highlighting the importance of the perioperative evaluation of the fistula. Ultrasound and colour doppler are a rapid, non-invasive and repeatable tools that can be used for the early diagnosis of vascular complications. METHOD A prospective, observational study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in South India. All the patients with arteriovenous fistulas made in the upper limb between the time period of June 2021–August 2021 were included. A preoperative doppler mapping and assessment of the upper lime was done by the nephrology team and two DUS exams in the post-operative period. RESULTS In our study, a total of 134 patients were evaluated with a mean age of 51.89 ± 13.7 years. The total number of males in the study was 115 (85.8%). The aetiology of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) was predominantly nondiabetic in origin seen in 56.7% of the patients. Ischaemic heart disease was seen in 36 patients. There were 116 brachiocephalic,18 radiocephalic AV fistulas in our group of patients. The overall success rate of the fistula was 79.9%. The average vein diameter in patients with successful AV fistula was 3.03 ± 1.05 mm and was 2.25 ± 0.9 mm in those who had a failed fistula. The average blood flow measurement in the proximal artery supplying the fistula was 479.42 ± 113.1 mL/min in the immediate post-op period and 1055.88 ± 227.6 mL/min at 6 weeks. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the blood flow measurement between those who achieved primary patency versus those with failure to mature. CONCLUSION It is essential for a practicing nephrologist to be acquainted with the technique of doppler to assess AV fistula to assess for maturity and to see for.