Key Findings: Among 645 cephalic AVFs, 190 (29.5%) were distal and 455 (70.5%) were proximal.Proximal AVFs had higher maturation rates compared to distal AVFs (87.9 vs 77.4%, P<0.001).Overall reintervention rates were comparable between groups.Distal AVFs more frequently required balloon-assisted maturation, whereas tributary ligation was more common among proximal AVFs.Time from TDC placement to AVF maturation was similar between groups.Take Home Message: Although proximal AVFs demonstrated statistically significant higher maturation rates, initial fistula location did not significantly affect total duration of TDC use among AVFs that matured.Intervention type varied by location, highlighting procedural differences in managing distal versus proximal fistulas. Table of Contents Summary:In this multi-institutional cohort, proximal cephalic AVFs achieved higher maturation than distal AVFs, but total tunneled dialysis catheter duration remained similar.Distal AVFs required more balloon-assisted maturations, while tributary ligations were more common among proximal AVFs.These findings highlight that initial AVF location influences maturation outcomes and secondary interventions but does not significantly impact overall TDC duration.
Curry et al. (Sun,) studied this question.