The goal of vascular access creation is to achieve a functioning arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or arteriovenous graft (AVG). An autologous fistula has been shown to be superior to AVG or to central venous catheters (CVCs) with lowest rate of re-intervention, but vessel obstruction or immaturity accounts for 20 % to 54% of cases with primary failure of AVF. This review is focused on the factors influencing maturation; indication and timing of preoperative mapping/creation of vascular access; ultrasound parameters for creation AVF/AVG; early postoperative complications following creation of a vascular access; ultrasound determinants of fistula maturation and endovascular intervention in vascular access with maturation failure. However, vascular accesses that fail to develop, have a high incidence of correctable abnormalities, and these need to be promptly recognized by ultrasonography and managed effectively if a high success rate is to be expected. We review approaches to promoting fistula maturation and duplex ultrasonography (DUS) of evaluating vascular access maturation.

3rd Department of Internal Medicine General University Hospital 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Department of Nephrology Clinical Hospital Centre Zemun Belgrade Serbia

Department of Nephrology Ljubljana University Medical Centre Slovenia

Department of Radiology General University Hospital 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Depatment of Vascular Surgery University Hospital Dubrava Zagreb Croatia

School of Medicine University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia

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Arteriovenous Hemodialysis Access Stenosis Diagnosed by Duplex Doppler Ultrasonography: A Review