Arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are made by anastomosing a vein to an artery in order to get the vein dilated with sufficient blood flow in order to puncture the vein and perform hemodialysis in patients with renal failure. The success rate of this procedure varies between 50-80% and depends mainly on the size of the vein, with success being higher with larger veins. One of the veins used for an AVF is the basilic vein, located at the upper arm. This vein is however deeply located and necessitates transposition during surgery to a less deep and lateral subcutaneous plane before the anastomosis with the artery, in order to be used. A single study has shown that surgery performed in two stages (one to enlarge the vein and the second one to relocate the enlarged vein under the wound, not in a new path) is more successful than doing the procedure in one stage.
The aim of this study is to confirm the findings of the single study mentioned above (one versus two stages of basilic vein AVF), with the difference that the basilic vein will be relocated outside the main wound, a method that is widely accepted as being better.
