Establishment of buttonhole technique as a puncture alternative for arteriovenous fístulas. experience of a centre over 3years.

Introduction: The buttonhole (BH) puncture technique for arteriovenous fistulas is an alternative to the classical staggered puncture.

Purpose: We present 3years' results incorporating the BH puncture technique for arteriovenous fistulas in our dialysis unit.

Material And Methods: Twenty-two patients were started on BH technique, 15 men and 7 women (mean age: 62 years; SD: 12), with time spent on dialysis when starting the BH technique of 34 months (SD: 34, median: 27, range: 3-136).