The fistula is not suitable for dialysis immediately after it is created. It takes approximately five weeks for the fistula to mature and be suitable for dialysis. Fistula maintenance is crucial. Do not administer any kind of intravenous injection to the wrist or arm with the fistula, nor use that arm for blood pressure measurements. Do not wear any bandages, watches, or apply dynaplast adhesive dressing on the wrist or arm with the fistula. Protect the fistula area from external injury and don’t let anyone hold your left wrist. Place a small rubber ball in your palm and squeeze it throughout the day to help the fistula strengthen, mature, and become more effective.
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.