Comparative blood flow study of arteriovenous fistulae in canine femoral arteries: Modified latero-lateral and end-lateral techniques

The aim of this study was to evaluate the blood flow of an arteriovenous fi stula comparing the modified latero-lateral (LLM) and end-lateral (TL) tech niques in canine femoral arteries. Ten mongrel dogs were submitted to 2 art eriovenous fistulae each, with a LLM on one side and a TL procedure on the other side. Cranial and caudal average blood flow as well as average venous flow were measured by an electronic fluxometer 15, 20, and 25 min after su rgery. Mann-Whitney, Friedman, and Wilcoxon nonparametric tests were used f or data analysis (alpha less than or equal to 0,05). Femoral artery flow, c ranial to the fistula, was increased 5 1/2 times in both groups. In the fem oral artery caudal to the fistula, the flow in the majority of the animals was reversed 1.3 times using the TL technique and 2 times using the LLM tec hnique. The average flow in the cranial vein was statistically different wi th an improved flow of 7.4 times versus 6.8 times for the LLM technique. Th ese results suggest that LLM arteriovenous fistula in dogs leads to a large r venous flow than in the TL arteriovenous fistula and the reverse caudal a rterial flow in the latero-lateral technique. The flow behavior (laminar or turbulent) in the 2 types of arteriovenous fistula was studied in terms of singular head loss.