Radiocephalic Fistula: Review and Update

Since initially described in 1966, radiocephalic fistula or Brescia–Cimino fistula is one of the most commonly performed fistulas in the world of arteriovenous access. The indications for insertion include, but are not limited to, hemodialysis. Although this is a frequently performed procedure, the primary and secondary patency rates and predictors of failure are not well defined. The review of this topic is difficult because of the diversity in reporting and the absence of consensus between series. Following the current published recommendations by the Society of Vascular Surgery regarding standardization of terminology to facilitate meaningful comparison between the diversity of published data, this review is an attempt to summarize and highlight the relevant information with regard to primary patency, secondary patency, and predictors of failure of radiocephalic fistula using the available English literature.