AV Fistula

What exactly does it mean when a AV Fistula is patent and mature?

AV Fistula

I believe it means that it is ready for use for hemodialysis.

AV fistula

Patency means the fisuta is "open" and mature basically means healed....so in stating that the AV fistula is patent and mature means it is open, healed, and ready for the dialysis use.

more detail

A fistula is created by sewing together an artery and a vein side by side. The high flow in the artery lead to the vein getting progressively bigger and bigger and once "mature" it is big enough for the dialysis nurses to stick those giant needles into it to do dialysis. When first created the vein is tiny, like the veins on your hand and so it takes time to mature. A graft is a synthetic tube inserted between an artery and vein to allow dialysis. Since it is full size to start it can be used right away. But it has a higher risk of infection and clotting since it is a foreign body, hence fistulas are preferred.