title: Complications of lower extremity arteriovenous grafts in patients with end-stage renal disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  More data are needed to assess lower extremity angioaccess sites for hemodialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We did a retrospective review of 843 consecutive hospital records of upper and lower extremity arteriovenous (AV) fistulas from 1992 to 1996.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lower extremity grafts accounted for 16% (134/843) of patients in this series. Complications occurred in 58 of 134 patients (43%) and were more prevalent in women, blacks, diabetic, and hypertensive patients, but not of statistical significance. Dialysis was done for a mean duration of 13.3 years, with a mean graft patency rate of 13.8 months. The 12-month survival rate of lower extremity AV grafts was 62% (83/134). Complications in the lower extremity AV graft group (58 patients) included infections in 27 patients (46%), thrombosis within 30 days in 16 (28%), pseudoaneurysm in 9 (16%), and graft hemorrhage in 6 (10%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a decreased patency rate in lower extremity AV grafts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical College of Pennsylvania-Hahnemann University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kerstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies