Fistula stopped working after 15 days

[Shilpiaggarwal18]

On 17 jan, a fistula made on my father’s wrist now its nt woking.. doctor said it’s due to artries.. is there any way??to strt it again

[cs65 NKF Ambassador]

By now he probably has a venous catheter to receive dialysis - this will buy him time while the surgeon can look for an alternative site for the fistula or perform a balloon angioplasty on the existing fistula if it is savable. I have had many balloon angioplasties on my fistula when it either had a narrow area or a clot. It is a day surgery, so he will be able to rest at home afterward and go to dialysis the next day. Good luck to your father!

[Shilpiaggarwal18 in reply to cs65]

Thanks for your advice.. can u plz tell me more about balloon angioplasties??? Coz dr adviced him for another fistula..

[cs65 NKF Ambassador in reply to Shilpiaggarwal18]

If he needs a new fistula, he will first have to have vein mapping done(an ultrasound procedure) to show which vein is a good candidate for moving and joining to an artery. A balloon angioplasty should only be done when the fistula can be saved. It is a surgical procedure where the surgeon inserts a needle and a wire into the fistula and can place and inflate a balloon into a narrowed area or stenosis. The patient is usually under sedation with an iv, so he won't feel anything and will wake up later in the recovery room before being taken back to the presurgical unit. I myself usually ask for anti nausea drugs to be given along with the sedation since I don't react well to anesthesia. Does your father need a new fistula created? That will be done under anesthesia like the first one.

[Shilpiaggarwal18 in reply to cs65]

Vein mapping has been done for fixing a new fistula... it means u r saying due to ballon angioplasty cnt b done???coz dr didnt tell abt saving the fistula.. he said only a new fistula should b make

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador in reply to Shilpiaggarwal18]

Dr. had to put an AV Graft in my arm because I had really small veins. Didn't take too long and the graft clotted off, so had to put a port in my chest with 2 lumens. They had tried angioplasty on it but within a couple of weeks it was back to not working. Before they actually used the port I was called for a transplant.

[Shilpiaggarwal18 in reply to WYOAnne]

Thanks for concern and advice

[cs65 NKF Ambassador in reply to Shilpiaggarwal18]

The fistula may not be able to be fixed - please check with your surgeon to get the details from him. I am a dialysis patient, not a doctor.

[Shilpiaggarwal18 in reply to cs65]

Thanks for ur concern and advice

[cs65 NKF Ambassador in reply to Shilpiaggarwal18]

You're welcome!

[Frankie24]

I had my fistula done in July 2018, it did not begin to work until recently, January 2019 after 2 surgeries and 5 fistulagrams.