Limb Complaints after Autogenous Arterio-Venous Fistula Creation in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract Introduction Placement of Autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is one of the basic needs in hemodialysis patients. Although many studies have investigated the complications of AVF placement, but the complaints expressed by patients have not been studied so far during a long-term study. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of complaints after placement of autogenous AVF in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. Methods This cohort study was conducted on patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) undergoing AVF placement referred to Imam Reza hospital in Mashhad, Iran, from January 2015 to June 2016. The AVF were placed in all patients and then the incidence rate of expressed complaints including pain, paresthesia and edema were assessed up to three periods in a month after surgery and three periods in two months after starting use of the AVF. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19 software. Relationship of the AVF types with each of the appeared outcomes was analyzed via chi-square test. Results Three hundred eighty-eight patients (222 males and 166 females) with a mean age of 54.3 ± 16.0 years were studied. AVF was established in cubital site of 230 patients, in snuffbox of 103 patients, and distal forearm of 55 patients. The total incidence rate of pain within six follow-up periods and the incidence rates of paresthesia and edema were achieved 18.1%, 2.6%, and 5.4%, respectively. Significant relationship was statistically observed between the types of AVF and pain and paresthesia (P < 0.05). Conclusion According to the results obtained from this study, the pain and then edema were the most common complaint followed by AVF placement in the patients, and paresthesia had lower incidence compared to other complaints.