Evaluation of clinical follow-up of patients with arteriovenous fistula

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the demands of the patients whether to close down or not to close down the working arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) subsequent to kidney transplantation, determining the reasons for decision, and relationships of these decision with other parameters.
Patients and methods: The sampling of the study consists of 100 patients (60 males, 40 females; mean age 41.3±10.6 years; range 22 to 65 years), on whom AVF was opened before kidney transplantation and continued to work in the postoperative period in Istanbul Şişli FNH between January 2009 - December 2015. Sociodemographic and fistula-related characteristics of the patients were questioned using a 25-item Data Collection Form.
Results: Analyses revealed that patients with fistulas showed differences with respect to the problems they experienced after kidney transplantation. Female patients requested closure of the fistula because they were disturbed by its appearance. Daily activities were affected more in patients with a lower education level and whose ages were between 22-40. The patients who showed the greatest demand for closure of the fistula after transplantation were the ones between ages 22-40 and had the fistulas in the left arm. Patients with the fistula on the left arm had a greater rate of heart problems. There was no significant relationship between the BUN and creatinine values and the demand to close or not to close the fistulas.
Conclusion: Our study revealed that the daily lives of our patients, their conditions in the workplace, and their educational levels affected their demands concerning closure of the AVF. Also the age group had an effect on whether the fistula would be closed or not.