• For patients who choose long-term hemodialysis to replace their kidney function and don’t need to start immediately
• Should be made at least three months before you start dialysis
• Ideal for long-term dialysis, with few problems such as
  infection or clotting

How it’s made:

Your doctor will send you to a surgeon. He or she will examine the arteries and veins in your arms to see if they are large enough and healthy for fistula creation. If they are, you’ll be scheduled for an operation in which the surgeon will connect an artery directly to a vein. The place where they connect is called a fistula (also
known as an AVF or arteriovenous fistula). After two to three months of healing,
your fistula can be used for hemodialysis.

How it works:

When the fistula is ready to use, the staff at the dialysis unit will gently
insert two needles into the fistula vein for your treatment. One needle
takes blood to the hemodialysis machine to filter it. The other needle
returns the blood to your body.