Ultrasound-guided direct basilic-axillary approach in preoperative venography for hemodialysis access.

Purpose: Hemodialysis patients with suspected central vein stenosis or occlusion require venographic assessment before access surgery. Conventional venography may be unsatisfactory because of the limited ability to image central veins via peripheral arm veins that are inadequate or that have been damaged by multiple cannulations. Imaging of the central veins requires high flow contrast injection, which may be unattainable through small peripheral veins. We suggest a simple technique to improve central vein imaging by ultrasound-guided direct puncture of the basilic vein at its entry to the axilla.

Methods: We studied 20 patients in whom upper limb venography via peripheral veins was inadequate for the satisfactory demonstration of central vein anatomy and they underwent direct basilic-axillary vein puncture with Doppler ultrasound guidance. A 4Fr micropuncture catheter was used for manual injection of the contrast agent to image the central veins.

Results: All patients had inadequate upper limb venography via peripheral vein cannulation, and stenosis could not be ruled out due to poor visualization of the central veins. In all cases, venography by Doppler ultrasound-guided direct basilic-axillary vein puncture was very easy for both the radiologist and the patient, consistently providing high quality imaging without the need for repeated attempts at cannulation and without the need for infusion pumps. No complications were noted during or after the procedure.

Conclusions: Venography by Doppler ultrasound-guided direct basilic-axillary vein puncture is a simple and rapidly performed technique that improves the visualization of the central veins.