Percutaneous Creation of Bare Intervascular Tunnels for Salvage of Thrombosed Hemodialysis Fistulas Without Recanalizable Outflow

PurposeThis study aimed to retrospectively assess the efficacy of a bare intervascular tunnel for salvage of a thrombosed hemodialysis fistula. We examined the clinical outcomes and provided follow-up images of the bare intervascular tunnel.Materials and MethodsEight thrombosed fistulas lacked available recanalizable outflow veins were included in this study. These fistulas were salvaged by re-directing access site flow to a new outflow vein through a percutaneously created intervascular tunnel without stent graft placement. The post-intervention primary and secondary access patency rates were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method.ResultsThe procedural and clinical success rates were 100 %. Post-intervention primary and secondary access patency at 300 days were 18.7 ± 15.8 and 87.5 ± 11.7 %, respectively. The mean follow-up period was 218.7 days (range 10–368 days). One patient died of acute myocardial infarction 10 days after the procedure. No other major complications were observed. Minor complications, such as swelling, ecchymosis, and pain around the tunnel, occurred in all of the patients.ConclusionsPercutaneous creation of a bare intervascular tunnel is a treatment option for thrombosed hemodialysis fistulas without recanalizable outflow in selected patients