Dialysis access

According to the German Society of Nephrology, 90,000 patients in Germany are currently undergoing long-term dialysis treatment. The most common type of dialysis is haemodialysis. Haemodialysis requires a suitable dialysis access, which is created by vascular surgery.

Dialysis shunt

Preferably, a direct connection is made between an artery in the arm and a vein in the forearm or upper arm (Cimino fistula). The newly created dialysis shunt needs to mature for at least 4-6 weeks before it can be punctured for dialysis.

Prosthetic shunt

If the vessel diameter is too small for a native shunt (autologous artery and vein), a prosthetic shunt (synthetic shunt) can be used as an alternative. Compared with a vein shunt, there is an increased risk of occlusion, bleeding or inflammation of the plastic prosthesis.

Tunneled atrial catheter

As a final option, a tunnelled atrial catheter (Demers catheter) may be required in cases of severe heart disease, limited life expectancy and when all other options have been exhausted.

If dialysis has to be initiated in an emergency, the atrial catheter is needed temporarily until a functional shunt is available.

The best dialysis access for you will be decided together with your nephrologist.

We also perform shunt corrections in the Department of Vascular Surgery.