If the fistula is not functioning properly during dialysis and blood flow to the machine is not smooth, there are several reasons for this. One reason could be a blockage or narrowing at the junction of the fistula, and the other reason could be a narrowing of the fistula vein. There might be a constriction or narrowing of an outflow vein in the chest and neck for this, venous angioplasty and sometimes stenting is used to undo the narrowing.
Dr. K. K. Pandey is a Senior Consultant in Cardiothoracic, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, with nearly 30 years of surgical experience. He has previously worked at Batra Hospital, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi and the Bakulev Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery in Moscow. Dr. Pandey specializes in thoracic, lung and chest tumour surgery, varicose veins, vascular bypass procedures and diabetic foot management, using both open and minimally invasive techniques. A surgeon, writer and health educator, he regularly writes columns and books to make complex medical topics easy for the general public, believing that medical knowledge must reach every common person.