Ten tips for the management of vascular access in hemodialysis patients

Vascular access management represents one of the central challenges in hemodialysis care, requiring the nephrologist to navigate a complex and dynamic process that begins well before the first dialysis session and continues throughout the patient’s entire treatment trajectory. This challenge is further amplified by the growing age and comorbidity burden of the hemodialysis population, and by the recent shift toward high-convection-volume hemodiafiltration, which depends on a reliably functioning access. Drawing on current evidence and clinical experience, this narrative review argues that optimal outcomes depend not on any single intervention, but on a coherent, longitudinal approach integrating timely planning, careful patient selection, surgical precision, and structured follow-up. In this context, the nephrologist plays a pivotal coordinating role, and assuming ownership of this field through continuous training, multidisciplinary engagement, and education of patients and colleagues remains essential to improving outcomes along the entire course of kidney disease.