With regards to the creation of an arteriovenous fistula (AV fistula) for hemodialysis, autogenous venous grafts clearly show high performance when compared with prosthetic material in terms of primary or secondary patency. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts for the reconstruction of AV fistulae must be restricted to cases of failure of the autogenous material, which is generally used in upper limb fistulae. We describe a case of a 52-year-old patient, who, after access failure for hemodialysis and the impossibility of performing peritoneal dialysis due to bacterial peritonitis, underwent the reconstruction of an AV fistula between the right axillary artery and the cava vein using a 6-mm PTFE prosthesis. One month after surgery, this AV fistula started to be used for hemodialysis. The AV fistula remains patent 24 months after its creation. No infectious complications, cardiac insufficiency symptoms, or steal syndromes of right upper limb were detected.
Arteriovenous fistula; access failure; PTFE graft
