A national cohort study on hemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas after kidney transplantation - long-term patency, use and complications

Table 4 AVF-related complications and surgery after kidney transplantation

Type of AVF-related complication	Patients with complications, referred to a vascular access specialist^a	Patients with complications requiring surgery^b
Growing aneurysms^c	84 (46%)	33 (39%)
Complicated thrombosis	53 (29%)	27 (51%)
• with thrombophlebitis • central vein / artery involvement
High-flow AVF^d	29 (16%)	23 (79%)
Distal hypoperfusion	7 (4%)	7 (100%)
Venous hypertension with arm edema	7 (4%)	5 (71%)
Trauma/Pain	3 (2%)	2 (66%)

^aData are presented as frequency (percentage - of all patients referred due to a complication)
^bData on surgical procedures are presented as frequency (percentage - of patients with a complication needing surgical treatment)
^ci.e. aneurysms growing in size as detected by the patient; surgery was generally performed if aneurysms were of sufficient size to present an aesthetic or safety problem
^di.e. a patient referred to a vascular access specialist due to suspected high-flow AVF; there was no exact definition of high-flow AVF and flow measurement was not performed in all patients; a flowreduction or ligation was generally performed if there were negative consequences on the cardiovascular system (significant heart failure or pulmonary hypertension) or if the kidney graft function was good and there was an alternative option for future vascular access

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