My 14 year-old Fistula
Fistula, showing surgery scar, site relocation scar tissue and aneurisms from constant needling.
Typical hemodialysis Fistula
Big D and Me
Living well on dialysis
My 14 year-old Fistula
Fistula, showing surgery scar, site relocation scar tissue and aneurisms from constant needling.
Big D and Me 
Thanks for posting your photo. Is your fistula considered healthy?
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I had my fistula put in in April 2010. It seemed as if dialysis was imminent, but it is now January 2011 and my kidney function is 13% and seems to be staying at that level. My question is, what happens to a fistula if it doedn’t get used right away? Susan Baker
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Hi Susan. Unlike most things that fade away with no use, fistulas grow a little each year. The pressure of the arterial blood in the vein gradually expands the vein so that it becomes big enough to be used as a fistula. Most surgeons tell their patients to wait at least 3 months before using the fistula. My nephrologist organised for me to have my fistula 12 months before I needed it. I appreciated doing it so early, because I had time to get used to it before it was used, and it had time to grow. So yours will be fine. Greg
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I had mine put in 2 years before we used it. Every time we went to see any of the doctors they all would say how beautiful it was .. even asked why i wasn’t using it ..
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I hope everybody will get a renal transplantation as I had from 8 years. I understand very well your situations as I lived and passed it day by day. The fistula that I had 8 years after my operation, was still functioning very well as my Doc prefered to keep it till to be sure about the function of the new kidney.
My best luck to all of you and my thoughts are with every patient.
Roman
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I’m just going thru the mapping of my veins..I wish I never would of looked it up on the internet..the pics are all bad..I’m pretty messed up about this I’m doing it all alone anyone that has gone thru this mind talking with me
Marc
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