Renal Failure in the Elderly

Elderly patients present a large and growing portion of the population suffering from chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. These patients are challenging to care for, especially in terms of dialysis access, with low maturation rates for arteriovenous fistulas, high rates of complications after vascular procedures, and short life expectancies being especially problematic. Strategies are in general similar to those for younger patients. However, because of increased frailty, it is especially important for practitioners to carefully elicit patient preferences and to provide realistic education regarding prognosis before offering vascular surgery interventions.