If you have kidney disease and require dialysis, the dialysis provider will need access to your blood vessels. During dialysis, blood leaves the body through a blood vessel, moves through a dialysis machine (artificial kidney) to filter out fluid and toxins, then goes back into the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To create access to a blood vessel, you will need a dialysis fistula or graft procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To create a dialysis fistula, a vascular surgeon connects an artery to a vein (generally in the arm). The fistula causes the vein to grow larger and stronger so that it can be easily accessed during dialysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn more about this procedure at the Norton Audubon Hospital Vascular Access Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To create a dialysis graft, a vascular surgeon uses a synthetic (manmade) tube to connect an artery to a vein. The graft is placed under the skin and becomes an artificial vein that is used during dialysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn more about this procedure at the Norton Audubon Hospital Vascular Access Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a dialysis fistula or graft stops working, you may need a procedure called a thrombectomy, or access revision. When a fistula or graft stops working, it\u2019s usually due to a blood clot. A thrombectomy is a procedure to remove the clot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn more about this procedure at the Norton Audubon Hospital Vascular Access Center.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":41790,"parent":300,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-301","service","type-service","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n