Complications of vascular access devices for hemodialysis.

Hemodialysis is essential in the management of end stage renal disease patients. Forty-eight contrast examinations of hemodialysis vascular access devices were reviewed. Venous fistulography is the method of choice for the evaluation of these devices. Only 12 patients in this series required arteriography and 6 of them had a lower extremity access device. The most common complications included venous stenoses, venous or graft aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms and venous or graft thrombosis. Pseudointimal proliferation resulting in graft stenosis was also observed.