Long-term hemodialysis treatment using femoral vein puncture method (FV-method) as blood access in 12 patients

It is well known that blood access is essential for long-term hemodialysis treatment. Arteriovenouos fistula (AVF) is the most widely used method. However, this method of access frequently fails (access failure) as a result of stenosis. We attempt simple femoral vein puncture (FV-method) instead of AVF in such patients and have experienced 12 patients who were undergoing hemodialysis treatment using the FV-method, three times a week for more than one year. We devised special needles (18- and 19-gauge) for the FV-method. Generally, we use a 19-gauge needle with 4 side holes. We discuss here the results of 12 patients consisting of 4 males and 8 females with a mean age of 57.9 years, a mean duration of dialysis of 10.0 years, and a mean duration of FV-method of 3.5 years. Their underlying diseases were chronic glomerulonephritis (9 patients), diabetic nephropathy (2 patients) and nephrosclerosis (1 patient). Before the use of the FV-method, AVFs were attempted a mean of 3.8 times and an artificial graft, 4 times in 3 patients. Ten patients were outpatients and 2 were inpatients. As for the indications of the FV-method, 11 patients had access failure and another had suffered from heart failure resulting from an over flow of blood through AVF. KT/V, PCR and TAC_BUN were measured monthly and were within the normal range in almost all of the patients. Concerning complications of the FV-method, hematoma formation after detachment of the needle at the end of dialysis and pain at needle puncture were sometimes noted. Furthermore, the clinical course of a dialysis patient using the FV-method for about 10 years without any problems is presented. From these results, it is obvious that the FV-method for blood access is nearly equivalent to AVF for performing long-term hemodialysis treatment. Jpn J Nephrol 37: 564-572, 1995.