Objective: To present five cases of renal arteriovenous fistula (RAVF) seen at our institution, with an emphasis on surgical treatment.
Patients and methods: We assessed five patients with giant high-flow RAVF. The affected kidney was evaluated functionally using (99m)Tc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid renal scintigraphy. The size, location, involvement of branched arteries, and renal function dictated the choice of operative method. Four patients were treated with in situ ligation of the feeding artery for extrarenal RAVF, and the remaining patient had a nephrectomy of the nonfunctioning kidney. The clinical outcome was analysed by renal function, blood pressure control, radiographic cardiothoracic ratio (CTR), occlusion of RAVF, and renal artery patency.
Results: Of two patients with hypertension, the blood pressure was normalized in one. The renal function of the affected side was preserved in four patients. CTR was normalized or improved in all four patients with preoperative cardiomegaly. There was no recurrence of RAVF in any of the five patients and there was no major morbidity after surgery.
Conclusions: Surgery for giant high-flow RAVF is safe and feasible from the perspective of complications and recurrence, even though transarterial embolization has become the first line of therapy for RAVF.