Temporal trends in hemodialysis access creation during the fistula first era.

Objective: Although forearm arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are the preferred initial vascular access for hemodialysis based on national guidelines, there are no population-level studies evaluating trends in creation of forearm vs upper arm AVFs and arteriovenous grafts (AVGs). The purpose of this study was to report temporal trends in first-time permanent hemodialysis access type, and to assess the effect of national initiatives on rates of AVF placement.

Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study (2012-2022) utilizing the Vascular Quality Initiative database.