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

BACKGROUND: Whether ligation of the dorsal branch of the cephalic vein during the surgical establishment of the radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (RCAVF) favorably or adversely affects the patency rate of the RCAVF remains controversial. We performed a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of dorsal branch ligation on the patency rate of RCAVF. METHODS: A total of 115 patients who underwent surgical establishment were randomized to two groups treated with or without ligation of the dorsal branch of the cephalic vein during the surgical process. The primary patency rates of the RCAVF at 90, 270, and 360 days after the surgery and the secondary patency rates during a follow-up up to 1 year were compared. RESULTS: The patency rate did not differ significantly between the two groups at 3, 9, or 12 months after the procedure (P > 0.05). The combined primary patency rates of the RCAVF in patients from both groups at 3, 9 and 12 months after the procedure were 87.6, 82, and 74.5% respectively, while the combined secondary patency rate was 92.2% at the 1-year follow-up. The Log-rank test indicated that the initial patency rate and secondary patency rate did not differ significantly between the two groups (P = 0.674 and 0.759, respectively). CONCLUSION: This clinical study indicated that ligation of the dorsal branch of the cephalic vein does not significantly affect the patency of the arteriovenous fistula with a 1-year follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN ISRCTN12288675, Registered 25 September 2019 in the ISRCTN registry. retrospectively registered.