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Fistulas: A Better Choice
When it comes to vascular accesses for dialysis, doctors consider the AV fistula the best solution because it provides maximum blood flow for dialysis, lasts longer and has fewer complications than other types of access. Despite the advantages of a fistula, some patients face a mental hurdle when it comes to getting one. They may be afraid of the surgery or may not know enough about the benefits.
Or maybe they haven’t met anyone like Ed Bevis, a patient at the Chehalis, Wash., facility. For him, the benefits of having a fistula far outweighed any fear in getting one.
So Much More Efficient
Recreational vehicle enthusiasts, Ed, 66, and his wife Denise live in Centralia, Wash. They spent two winters in Arizona before moving to a resident RV park midway between Portland, Ore., and Seattle last year.
After they moved to Washington, doctors diagnosed Ed’s kidney disease. A combination of Type II diabetes and several heart attacks had taken their toll on his health. Another heart attack landed him in the hospital and his kidneys finally shut down.
Forced to go on dialysis immediately, Ed experienced all three types of vascular access. He started out with a catheter and found it to be very uncomfortable. “Sometimes I couldn’t move my neck at all. It would set off the alarms.”
Before Ed left the hospital, doctors placed a graft, a plastic tube made of Teflon® that connects an artery and a vein. Because the body considers the tubing foreign, there is often a negative reaction and a tendency to clot once a year on average. Due to these risks, doctors told Ed that a fistula would be a good next step. He’s glad he heeded their advice and got a fistula.
“A fistula lasts a lot longer,” he says. “It’s easier for the blood flow. It’s by far the best way to obtain dialysis. It’s so much more efficient.”
In his spare time, Ed enjoys amateur nature photography. He’s been married for 45 years to Denise, whom he leans on for emotional support. “If I really feel bad in the morning, she’ll get up with me and take me to treatment and then come get me. She’s a sweetheart,” he says.
He admits that kidney disease has changed their lifestyle. “We used to go a lot and visit friends, so that’s a little harder now,” he says. “You can cry and whine and moan about it, and be down in the dumps. Or you can get your dialysis and then you’re off for a day.”
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