Does surgically closing a branch of the cephalic vein in the arm affect the openness of an arteriovenous fistula (a connection between an artery and a vein created to allow access to a kidney dialysis machine) in the forearm?

Does ligation of the dorsal branch of the cephalic vein affect the patency of a distal forearm arteriovenous fistula of maintenance hemodialysis patients? A randomised study

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN12288675

Enrollment

Registered

2019-09-26

Start date

2014-02-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2020-05-11

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Arteriovenous fistula created with and without ligation of the dorsal branch of the cephalic vein Surgery

Interventions

All patients included in were randomly divided into two groups, the group with ligation of the dorsal branch of the cephalic vein and the group without ligation of the dorsal branch of the cephalic ve

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Cephalic vein dorsal branch, confirmed via vein mapping before the procedure 2. Surgical procedure assessed as feasible by experienced surgeons via clinical assessment of the arterial pulse, expansion of the vein after blocking the proximal blood flow with a tourniquet, and bilateral arm blood pressure. Moreover, bilateral vascular assessment, including vascular diameters and arterial blood flow, was performed by duplex ultrasound. 3. Adequate arterial blood flow to the hand, confirmed by negative findings obtained on Allen’s test preoperatively

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Patients without a cephalic vein dorsal branch 2. Patients who were unable to provide informed consent

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Primary patency rate of the AVF, defined as the time from the establishment of the fistula to initial percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or application of another intervention method to maintain the fistula patency	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Secondary patency rate of the AVF, defined as the time from fistula establishment to fistula abandonment, or thrombosis needing a re-establishment of a new fistula 2. Blood flow of the AVF recorded by the hemodialysis machine at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery 3. Venous pressure of the AVF recorded by the hemodialysis machine at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery 4. AVF diameter assessed by duplex ultrasound using a color Doppler ultrasound machine at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery 5. AVF blood-flow volume assessed by duplex ultrasound using a color Doppler ultrasound machine at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery 6. Physical examination of AVF condition, with palpation, auscultation and identification of AVF thrill, at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Secondary patency rate of the AVF, defined as the time from fistula establishment to fistula abandonment, or thrombosis needing a re-establishment of a new fistula 2. Blood flow of the AVF recorded by the hemodialysis machine at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery 3. Venous pressure of the AVF recorded by the hemodialysis machine at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery 4. AVF diameter assessed by duplex ultrasound using a color Doppler ultrasound machine at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery 5. AVF blood-flow volume assessed by duplex ultrasound using a color Doppler ultrasound machine at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery 6. Physical examination of AVF condition, with palpation, auscultation and identification of AVF thrill, at 90, 180, and 360 days after the surgery.

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Countries

China

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 27, 2026