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Objective: There is a lack of large real world data on arteriovenous (AV) access results. This study aimed to describe the required hospital care during the first year following creation of AV access., Methods: Data from all adult patients who underwent creation of AV access performed in 2017 in a public or private facility were collected through the French national hospitalisation database. Patients were classified into two groups ("de novo" and "secondary") according to their history of prior AV access creation. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with at least one hospital readmission related to the AV access recorded during the first 12 post-operative months., Results: In 2017, 10 476 adult patients underwent AV access creation in France, including 8 690 (83%) de novo creations. An AV fistula was created for 92% of the patients (95% de novo vs. 78% secondary; p < .001). During the first 12 post-operative months, 6 591 (63%) patients recorded at least one related readmission (68% secondary vs. 62% de novo; p < .001). A total of 5 557 (53%) recorded a readmission for surgical/interventional procedure and 2 852 (27%) were observed with a readmission for medical complications. The mean (± standard deviation) number of related readmissions at 12 months was 1.4 ± 1.6 per patient (1.7 ± 1.9 secondary vs. 1.3 ± 1.5 de novo; p < .001). Patients with an AV graft were more frequently readmitted than those with an AV fistula (1.8 ± 2 vs. 1.3 ± 1.5 readmission; p < .001)., Conclusion: This study highlights the high frequency of readmissions during the first 12 months following creation of AV access, particularly in patients who had already undergone creation of a previous AV access or had an AV graft implanted. Further research should focus on tailoring AV access strategies to improve patient quality of life and decrease the healthcare cost burden., (Copyright © 2022 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This was a European, multicenter, investigator-initiated and run, single-arm retrospective analysis to assess the safety and the clinical benefit of the use of paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) for the treatment of symptomatic central venous stenosis (CVS)., Materials and Methods: Eleven centers from 7 countries across Europe, submitted 86 cases performed during the period between October 2015 and June 2018. Minimum follow-up was 6 months. Patient baseline demographics and procedural details were collected. Mean age was 62.6 years (SD 15.2 years). Median vascular access age was 3.0 years (IQR 1.2-4.8 years). A total of 55 were arteriovenous fistulas (64%) the rest arteriovenous grafts (31/86, 36%). Vessels treated were 43 subclavian veins, 42 brachiocephalic veins and 1 superior vena cava. Median drug-coated balloon diameter was 10 mm (IQR 8-12 mm). Primary outcome measures were clinically assessed intervention-free period (IFP) of the treated segment at 6 months and procedure-related minor and major complications. Secondary outcome measures included access circuit survival, patient survival, and the investigation of independent factors that influence the IFP., Results: IFP was 62.7% at 6 months. Median patient follow-up time was 1.0 year (IQR 0.5-2.2 years). There was 1 minor complication (1/86; 1.2%) and no major complications. Access circuit survival was 87.7% at 6 months. Patient survival was 79.7% at 2 years according to Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Higher balloon diameters significantly favored IFP [HR 0.71 (0.55-0.92), p=0.006; 5-7 mm group vs 8-12 mm group, p=0.025]., Conclusion: In this analysis, use of PCBs for the treatment of symptomatic CVS was safe. Efficacy was comparable to previous trials. Increased balloon size had a significant effect on patency rates.

Determinants of nonfunctional arteriovenous (AV) access, including timing of AV access creation, have not been sufficiently described. We studied 29 945 patients who had predialysis AV access placement and were included in the French REIN registry from 2005 through 2013. AV access was considered nonfunctional when dialysis began with a catheter. We estimated crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of nonfunctional versus functional AV access associated with case-mix, facility characteristics, and timing of AV access creation. Analyses were stratified by dialysis start condition (planned or as an emergency) and comorbidity profile. Overall, 18% patients had nonfunctional AV access at hemodialysis initiation. In the group with planned dialysis start, female gender (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.32-1.56), diabetes (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.15-1.44), and a higher number of cardiovascular comorbidities (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09-1.49, and 1.31, 1.05-1.64, for 3 and >3 cardiovascular comorbidities versus none, respectively) were independent predictors of nonfunctional AV access. A higher percentage of AV access creation at the region level was associated with a lower rate of nonfunctional AV access (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.98-0.99 per 1% increase). The odds of nonfunctional AV access decreased as time from creation to hemodialysis initiation increased up to 3 months in nondiabetic patients with fewer than 2 cardiovascular comorbidities and 6 months in patients with diabetes or 2 or more such comorbidities. In conclusion, both patient characteristics and clinical practices may play a role in successful AV access use at hemodialysis initiation. Adjusting the timing of AV access creation to patients' comorbidity profiles may improve functional AV access rates.

Although responsibility is a fundamental determinant in medical practice, physicians are generally unfamiliar with its principles. The same is true for disclosure requirements and requests for compensation in the event of physical injury. We report on a representative survey of iatrogenic complications that may arise after the implementation of vascular access for haemodialysis and that illustrate's the physician's responsibility and obligation to inform the patient. Vascular access steal syndrome is a serious complication of arteriovenous fistulas, and physicians may not be sufficiently aware of the likelihood of its occurrence. Diabetes (via medial calcific sclerosis) and placement in the brachial artery (with excessively high flow rates) are the main risk factors. The precariousness of vascular status in dialysis patients threatens to increase the incidence of this complication. The therapeutic challenge is to resolve ischemic events while maintaining vascular access. The presence of gangrene of the fingers is a formal indication for surgery. The borderline between therapeutic risk (the risk inherent in a medical procedure and which cannot be controlled) and liability for injury is blurred. The French Patient's Rights Act (voted on March 4th, 2002) emphasizes the physician's duty to inform the patient of treatment-associated risks and the fact that the physician now bears the burden of proof. We suggest that a patient information sheet on the benefits and risks of vascular access should be published on the French Society of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation's website., (Copyright © 2017 Société francophone de néphrologie, dialyse et transplantation. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Little is known about vascular access conversion and outcomes for patients starting hemodialysis with nonfunctional arteriovenous (AV) access. We assessed mortality risk associated with nonfunctional AV access at hemodialysis initiation, taking subsequent changes in vascular access into account., Methods: We studied the 53,092 incident adult hemodialysis patients included in the French REIN registry from 2005 through 2012. AV access placed predialysis was considered nonfunctional when dialysis began with a central venous catheter. Information about vascular access changes was obtained from treatment modality updates., Results: At hemodialysis initiation, AV access was functional for 47% of patients and nonfunctional for 9%; 44% had a catheter alone. After a 3-year follow-up, 63% of patients beginning hemodialysis with a nonfunctional AV access had changed to a functional one, 4% had had a transplant, 19% had died before any vascular access change, and 13% still used a catheter. Cox proportional hazard models with vascular access treated as a time-dependent variable showed an adjusted mortality hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for patients with nonfunctional AV access who subsequently converted to functional access of 0.95 (95% CI 0.89-1.03) compared with the reference group with functional AV access since first hemodialysis, versus 1.43 (95% CI 1.31-1.55) for those who did not convert., Conclusions: Among patients starting hemodialysis with a nonfunctional AV access, a substantial percentage may never experience successful vascular access conversion. Poor survival seems to be limited to these patients, while those who subsequently convert to functional AV access have similar mortality risk compared to patients with such access since hemodialysis initiation. Every effort should be made to obtain functional AV access in all suitable patients.

Maintaining vascular access patency represents a tremendous challenge in hemodialysis patients. Although "native" arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is currently recommended as primary vascular access, neointimal hyperplasia stenoses frequently develop, with a risk for AVF thrombosis and vascular access loss. For years, first-line treatment of AVFs stenoses has been percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, generally with high-pressure or cutting uncoated balloons. However, restenosis and reintervention rates remain incredibly high and occur, according to recent studies, in up to 60% and 70% of patients at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Drug-coated balloons delivering paclitaxel at the angioplasty site have proved their superiority in the treatment of coronary and peripheral arterial stenoses. Paclitaxel reduces neointimal hyperplasia and drug-coated balloons, therefore, it represents an attractive option for AVF stenoses. Because data are scarce, the aim of this paper was to review the concepts and current results of drug-coated balloons in AVF stenosis management., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)