Utilization of the autologous vein on the ulnar side of the dorsal hand for arteriovenous fistula creation

Abstract

We previously described the success and usefulness of two operative techniques for creating a radial artery-first or second dorsal metacarpal vein arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in the first interdigital space of the dorsal hand using the most distal site and autologous veins in the upper limb. These techniques utilize the dorsal metacarpal veins on the radial side of the dorsal hand. Developing these ideas, we devised a novel operative technique for creating a transposed radial artery-third metacarpal vein AVF in the first interdigital space of the dorsal hand using the most distal vein on the ulnar side of the upper limb and most distal site in the upper limb. The distinctive advantage of this technique is that it can be applied to patients whose cephalic vein in the forearm and the dorsal metacarpal veins on the radial side of the dorsal hand are of a poor quality. We herein report the steps of this technique and describe its successful performance in a patient who has been on hemodialysis for 14 months without any additional vascular access interventions or postoperative complications. We consider this technique to be a valuable option in select patients who meet the applicable conditions. The creation of the first AVF as distally as possible is ideal, and it offers a further viable option of distal native vascular access that may be overlooked.