Purpose : The aim of this prospec­tive randomized study is to comapre patency and complication rates of bridge fistulas using prosthetic grafts, autogenous saphenous vein grafts and brachiobasilic arteriovenous fis­tula in patients with unconstructable distal arteriovenous fistula.
Patients And Methods : this study include 34 PTFE bridge fistulas, 23 polyurethane bridge fistulas, 20 saphenous bridge fistulas and 53 brachiobasilic A.V.F.
All cases were done between January 1997 and Aprii 1998 and followed up to the end of June 1999 in Mansoura University Hospital.
Life tables analysis were used to compare the patency and complica­tion rates for each type of the fistulas.
Results : The patency rates at 1 year were (86%) for brachiobasilic fistulas (63.2%) for PTFE brachial bridge fistulas, (77.4%) for polyure­thane brachial bridge fistulas, and (73%) for" autogenous saphenous bridge fistulas. The patency rates at 2 years were (79.9%) for basilic vein group, (49%) for PTFE group, (45.9%) for polyurethane group and (38.3%) for autogenous saphenous vein group. Brachiobasilic fistulas showed the lowest rate of complica­tions.
Conclusions : Brachio-basilic A.V.F. provided superior patency rates and lower complication rates