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

Objective To describe the long-term hemodialysis arteriovenous fistula (AVF) patency, incidence of AVF use, incidence and nature of AVF complications and surgery in patients after kidney transplantation. Patients and methods We retrospectively analysed the AVF outcome and complications in all adult kidney allograft recipients transplanted between January 1st, 2000 and December 31, 2015 with a functional AVF at the time of transplantation. Follow-up was until December 31, 2019. Results We included 626 patients. Median AVF follow-up was 4.9 years. One month after kidney transplantation estimated AVF patency rate was 90%, at 1 year it was 82%, at 3 years it was 70% and at 5 years it was 61%; median estimated AVF patency was 7.9 years. The main cause of AVF failure was spontaneous thrombosis occurring in 76% of AVF failure cases, whereas 24% of AVFs were ligated or extirpated. In a Cox multivariate model female sex and grafts were independently associated with more frequent AVF thrombosis. AVF was used in about one third of our patients. AVF-related complications occurred in 29% of patients and included: growing aneurysms, complicated thrombosis, high-flow AVF, signs of distal hypoperfusion, venous hypertension, trauma of the AVF arm, or pain in the AVF/arm. Conclusions AVFs remain functional after kidney transplantation in the majority of patients and are often re-used after graft failure. AVF-related complications are common and require proper care.