TURKISH NEPHROLOGY DIALYSIS AND TRANSPLANTATION JOURNAL, cilt.20, sa.3, ss.209-213, 2011 (ESCI)
Hemodialysis patients are connected to life by means of vascular access. The complications of vascular access represent one of the most important causes of morbidity, mortality and high healthcare costs in the hemodialysis patients. Although it is known that the best vascular access is AVF, the fistula use rate is still low in most countries. This review will examine; association of various vascular access with morbidity, mortality and dialysis costs; different practice patterns in the world and reasons of this; finally, solutions for vascular access problems.