In every dialysis session, a patient’s blood is cleaned through a dialysis machine. The process is quite simple: the machine is hooked through bloodlines in the arm, blood is pumped through the machine, cleaned, and then returned to the patient. This is a continous process in which only 300 millileters  of blood per minute is cycled throughout the 4-hour session.

You might be windering how the bloodlines are hooked on the patient? Well, first and foresmost, before you can be hooked to a dialysis machine, you must have an access for the bloodlines. There are various kinds of access for the kidney patient, and one of the most common form is the Arterio-Venous Fistula or AV-Fistula or simply Fistula. What is a Fistula?

Purpose

The surgical creation of an AV fistula provides a long-lasting site through which blood can be removed and returned during hemodialysis. The fistula, which allows the person to be connected to a dialysis machine, must be prepared by a surgeon weeks or months before dialysis is started. When the vein and artery are joined, the vein gradually becomes larger and stronger, creating the fistula that provides vascular access years longer than other types of access and with fewer complications.

»data courtesy of Encyclopedia of Surgery«

A patient’s fistula is his lifeline in dialysis for a simple reason that without it, he cannot be hooked to a dialysis machne and cannot be treated. He is the one responsible for its care — by avoiding various things and instances that might put excessive pressure on the arm where the fistula is located. One example is lifting heavy objects with your access arm. Another is allowing your blood pressure readings to be taken on that arm. These are the things a patient must always keep in mind for the preservation of his AV Fistula.

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