title: Long-term results of saphenous vein graft arteriovenous fistulas.
abstract: The long-term results of autogenous saphenous vein grafts for vascular access were examined in 70 patients. The cumulative patency rate was 66 percent at 2 years and 40 percent at 3 years. No difference could be detected in the occlusion rate of grafts in patients who received a kidney transplant and those who did not. Intraoperative measurement of blood flow through the grafts did not prove useful as an indicator of long-term patency. No deaths were attributable to the grafts, and major complications were limited to infection in three patients and distal ischemia in two; these complications necessitated ligation of the graft in all five patients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply*; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014680:Veins / Q000601:surgery