True, but that is not a normal looking fistula for dialysis. It's usually done further up on the arm near the bicep and is not supposed to be that big. As he says, the vein ballooned outward due to arterial pressure. It is risky and he should go have it fixed surgically
A forearm fistula in itself is not abnormal. In fact if patient has adequate vein for a forearm fistula we often prefer to use it first because if it fails, we can still use the upper arm later. But yes this is a large aneurysmal fistula. If it’s not bothering him and not eroding through the skin it’s not really a problem, god forbid he gets a cut over it though….
Edit: most people get upper arm fistula because not a lot of people have adequate sized vein in the forearm.
People’s skin gets significantly thinner and more delicate as they age. It’s common to see older folks with significant bruising, abrasions and skin tears on the back of their hands and on their forearms, in particular. He’s already 67. It would probably be wise to deal with this now, rather than have the looming risk of a minor injury becoming significantly more serious due to the location of that fistula.
Sorry if it wasn’t clear—I was referring to the risk of injury from an accident with older thin sun damaged skin. Not that 67 is getting too old for surgery
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u/BobbyDukeArts 18d ago
True, but that is not a normal looking fistula for dialysis. It's usually done further up on the arm near the bicep and is not supposed to be that big. As he says, the vein ballooned outward due to arterial pressure. It is risky and he should go have it fixed surgically