I have a patient on Dialysis

[LJ83]

I am a home health nurse. I have a gentleman who started dialysis 12/16. His fistula did not mature and his access point is still through his port. He would like a graft put in, does anyone else have a graft?

[SharaiG_NKF Partner]

Hello LJ83,

Welcome to the NKF Kidney Dialysis Community! We have some general information about caring for the hemodialysis access which your patient may find helpful. For more information please visit us at: kidney.org/atoz/content/hem... .

[rick54]

i had a graft put in and last just for a month or more we think got infected during surgery so had to take it out, and put chext port catheter in. just had a stomach catheter put in cause going to switch to pd so i can do the cycler at night instead of going to a center 3 times a week. ask any question i'll try and answer, he should try a fistula first they last longer and dont use a foreiign object etc.

[rick54]

ps, just read about fistula not maturing so guess you tried that,lol you have other arm maybe, but i didn't want them to mess up my right arm so decided on going the pd route which i think is better in alot of ways then incenter hemo, you don't get stuck with needles, have some techs who take short cuts ,maybe don't clean the machines and chairs as well as they should etc. pd is more like your actual kidneys since your doing exchanges every day, or nightly

[Rwashing]

I have a graft. My veins were too small for a fistula. I had it put in when I first started dialysis. It is working fine. I suffer with Lupus and my body tends to reject foreign objects. Early on I developed blood clots in my catheter. I had to go on blood thinners and was on them when they put the graft in. That may have something to do with its success. My advice is make sure you have a good doctor and do everything he or she says. Like do not lay on it or lift heavy items. I hope this helps.

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[Mass628]

If you exercise the arm the fistula is in it matures faster. I used a stress ball whenever I could and it mAtured my fistula for use in 3 months from placement. Graphs don't last very long and are prone to infections. Hope this helps you. 😀

[REVRay]

I don't have a graft but it did take 5 months for my fistula to mature. I had to have the vascular surgeon twice do separate procedures. Took time but has worked now for 2 1/2 years. Maybe give it time.