Brachial Vein Transposition with Consecutive Skin Incisions in a Hemodialysis Patient with Absence of Adequate Superficial Veins: A Case Report

Abstract

The creation of an arteriovenous fistula instead of a synthetic vascular graft is a smart decision in hemodialysis patients who do not have a suitable superficial vein. Basilic vein transposition (BVT) is a viable option in most cases, except in patients who do not have a proper basilic vein. In patients with inadequate superficial veins, another source of the autogenous vein is the brachial vein, a deep vein of the upper arm. Most surgeons choose a full medial arm incision to perform brachial vein exploration. We describe a patient in whom BVT was not possible and so brachial vein transposition using skip incisions was performed, with good results.

Keywords

• brachial vein transposition
• basilic vein transposition
• skip incisions
• dialysis access
• arteriovenous fistula