Effects of a venous cuff at the venous anastomosis of polytetrafluoroethylene grafts for hemodialysis vascular access.

Introduction And Methods: The most frequent complication of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) arteriovenous grafts for hemodialysis is thrombotic occlusion due to stenosis caused by intimal hyperplasia. This complication is also known for peripheral bypass grafts. Because the use of a venous cuff at the distal anastomosis improves the patency of peripheral bypass grafts, we considered that it might also improve the patency of PTFE arteriovenous grafts.