Article Text
Abstract
Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred route for vascular access in patients with chronic kidney disease on maintenance haemodialysis. Many studies have demonstrated the positive effects of perioperative hand exercise on fistula maturation. Here, we present our experience of radio cephalic AVF creation in patients with neuromuscular disorders who had difficulty performing isometric hand exercises. We created AVF in three patients with neurological disorders. First patient had essential tremor, which created difficulty during hand exercises and surgery while the other two patients had right hemiparesis. Perioperative isometric exercises have been shown to help in maturation of AVF. Due to neurological involvement, our patients had difficulty performing hand exercises. All had successful AVF despite taking longer than usual time to mature. Creation of AVF in neuromuscular diseases is feasible. A preoperative Doppler ultrasound to assess the vessels might help in making an informed decision. This might spare such patients the only functional arm.
- Vascular surgery
- Dialysis
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Footnotes
Contributors VS: planning, conduct, reporting, conception and design, acquisition of data or analysis and interpretation of data. SSS: planning, conduct, reporting, conception and design, and interpretation of data. DPB: planning, conduct, reporting, conception and design. ASS: planning, conduct, reporting, conception and design.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.