Haluk AKBAŞ, Haldun TEKİNALP, Ahmet R. TURGUT, Serhat BÜLBÜL, Murat DİKMENGİL, Nevzat DOĞAN, Mete H. ALP
For chronic hemodialysis if standart arteriovenous fistulas could not be performed, ePTFE bridge artireovenous fistula procedures can increase the life standart. In the department of throcic and cardiovascular surgery of University of Kocaeli, from June 1996 to November 1998, five patients without available peripheric vasculature for arteriovenous fistulas underwent modified bridge arteriovenous fistula procedure with ePTFE grafts. Patients were followed up 5 to 24 months, mean 13 months. No early or late edema, infection, thrombosis, aneurysm or hemodinamic problem and ischemia were observed. Bridge arteriovenous fistula procedures with ePTFE grafts are a usefull tool to increase the quality of life in elderly diabetics and other patients, in whom classic arteriovenous fistulas couldnt be constructed.