Objective: Perianastomotic stenoses (PAS) complicating native arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) of the forearm can be treated by angioplasty or surgery. The objective of this study was to report primary patency (PP) and primary assisted patency (PAP) rates of surgery and angioplasty of these stenoses. The secondary objective was to identify factors influencing the patency rates of these reoperations.
Material and methods: Seventy-three patients with a mean age, 65 years were treated for PAS between January 1999 and December 2005 in two centres (Tours and Le Mans), which were retrospectively included. PAS were treated by surgery (n=21) or angioplasty (n=52). The two groups were comparable. The mean follow-up was 39 months for the angioplasty group and 49 months for the surgery group (p=0.088).
Results: The PP rate was 71+/-10% for surgery and 41+/-6% for angioplasty (p<0.0175). The PAP rate was not significantly different (p=0.462) between angioplasty (92+/-4%) and surgery (95+/-4%). In the endovascular group, the site of stenosis on the anastomosis was a risk factor for early recurrence (95% CI between 0.006 and 0.392; p=0.047).
Conclusion: These results suggest that anastomotic stenoses should be treated surgically rather than by angioplasty. Angioplasty and surgery give identical patency rates in other types of perianastomotic stenoses at the cost of a higher reoperation rate for angioplasty.