Age of your arterio-venous fistula (AVF)?

[CW]

Just wondering... Everyone that has an AV fistula how long have you had it without revision or other surgery (not counting procedures like fistulagrams). Mine is approx 13 years old

[Riki]

The one I'm using now was placed on November 5, 2009.  it's an upper arm fistula and I've had no issues with it, and hope I never will.  I had one lower down, that was placed in 1991, when I was on PD.  It was placed as a backup,  but was never used.  It was removed (I'm not sure how they removed it) in 1993, about a year after my first transplant.

[okarol]

Jenna had an upper arm fistula. It worked nearly 3 years, no problems, and quit working on her transplant day.

[Sue]

I've had mine - wrist - for just over a year, had two procedures to fix a stenosis which didn't work and had a revision a couple of weeks ago. I am pre-dialysis.

[big777bill]

 I've had my fistula for 1 and 1/2 years. About a year ago they had to move it closer to the surface. I tarted using it about 3 1/2 months after that and have had no problems since then. It is located in my upper left arm. They tried to put one near my elbow but no dice.

[frankswife]

Frank had a fistula placed in April 2012. They tried using it in Sept. It never worked from day one so they had a catheter put in that month. He had a fistulagram done in December and now the fistula seems to be working pretty good.

[Rerun]

Life on dialysis would not be "half" bad if it wasn't for access problems.  Mine is always due in for a tune up.  I have 2 working ones right now and that is the BEST.  I have plan A and plan B and if one quits I have my backup.  I use my upper left fistula on Sun and Tue and my right lower graft on Thursday to give Arm A a break.  But, my flow study on Tuesday said my left fistula was not so good.  We are going to repeat it on Sunday to see if I have to go in for a tune up.  Please God, just make them leave me alone for 2 good years. 

                     

[Riki]

My unit is testing fistula ultrasounds.  I'm not sure if you guys have seen these things yet, but they are so cool.  They can look at your fistula while you are on, and you can see the needle in the vein.  It kinda looks like the surface of the moon or something.  While they were looking at my fistula, they went further up the vessel, trying to see where it's developing.  It does look like it's going further up, so I may soon have a 4th site to needle

[cattlekid]

My fistula is two and a half years old. Still going strong two weeks after transplant. No procedures or revisions.

[YLGuy]

4 years. Same fistula since my kidneys failed.  Well...the very first one never worked and they did the second one about 2 weeks after they failed.

[CW]

Wow seems fistula issues abound, Riki I never heard of a fistula ultrsound that sounds like a real hoot! All others having fistula issues I hope the best for you. Still looking for some more replies

[cassandra]

Okay than, mine was made in '98 but infiltrated so badly that it became useless , so TTL I could start Pd. Perito probs finished that. Fistula revised (?) in '03, and

apart from stretching, is still working 'good enough.   

[Bill Peckham]

I had mine placed in May 1990 and have been using it since September of '90 - it's old enough to drink.

I had a section patched in 2002, and had it ballooned twice prior to the patch. Since then have had no issues - knock wood. I get nervous talking about my lack of problems sometimes, my lack of hospitalizations, like I'm pitching a perfect game and I shouldn't talk about it but then I remember I'm not superstitious.

My unit does an ultrasound of the fistula once a quarter - measures the size of the vein and the speed of the flow as well as looking for turbulence which could indicate a stenosis.

[CW]

I had mine placed in May 1990 and have been using it since September of '90 - it's old enough to drink.

I had a section patched in 2002, and had it ballooned twice prior to the patch. Since then have had no issues - knock wood. I get nervous talking about my lack of problems sometimes, my lack of hospitalizations, like I'm pitching a perfect game and I shouldn't talk about it but then I remember I'm not superstitious.

My unit does an ultrasound of the fistula once a quarter - measures the size of the vein and the speed of the flow as well as looking for turbulence which could indicate a stenosis.

Peck has the record! Anyone close to him?