[Operation and maintenance of a.v. fistula for chronic hemodialysis; a preliminary report].

42 patients underwent chronic hemodialysis at the Medical City Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. The ages ranged from 11 to 64 years. 30 patients had AVF constructed above the wrist, in 9 patients the fistula was established at the anticubital fossa and 3 patients had saphenofemoral grafts. A satsifactory technique has been developed for vascular access in chronic hemodialysis with the so called tennis racket fistula constructed at the wrist joint together with distal ligation of the artery and vein. The use of Bovin graft and autogenous mandrils have been discussed.