A novel technique of reimplantation of a radial artery that makes a hairpin turn to reduce the excessive vascular access flow in a dialysis patient

We report a new technique called “reimplantation of an artery with a hairpin turn (RAHT)” to reduce excessive vascular access flow. A 73-year-old woman on dialysis consulted us for vascular surgery because of an increased cardiac preload. Chest radiography and echocardiography revealed an excessive shunt flow in the brachial artery (flow rate, 2336 mL/min). Vascular echo-Doppler of the left upper limb showed that the radial artery made a hairpin turn at the arteriovenous fistula (diameter, 9 mm). Diameters of the radial artery proximal and distal to the arteriovenous fistula were 5.4 and 3.7 mm, respectively. We ligated and divided the juxta-anastomosis proximal radial artery and subsequently created an end-to-side anastomosis between the proximal radial artery and the distal radial artery. The anastomosis ostium in the distal radial artery (the recipient) was formed with a 4-mm longitudinal and gently curved incision. We performed RAHT so that the small anastomosis between both arteries and the small diameter of the distal radial artery juxta-anastomosis segment could reduce the vascular access flow. The flow rates in the brachial artery were 500 mL/min just after surgery and 560 mL/min at 2 months after surgery. Postoperative chest radiography and echocardiography confirmed a decrease in cardiac preload. We believe that this RAHT technique could be useful as one of the options to reduce the flow in patients who have excessive vascular access flow with a radial artery that makes a hairpin turn.