Surgery versus inside-the-vessel methods to create dialysis arteriovenous fistulas
Official title: Comparing surgical and endovascular arteriovenous fistula creation
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-10913412 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares traditional surgical versus newer endovascular ways of creating arteriovenous fistulas for people who need hemodialysis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $306,342 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK132422-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10913412 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with end-stage kidney disease who need a new arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis and who meet the anatomic criteria for surgical or endovascular AVF creation would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not need dialysis access, who are not candidates for either surgical or endovascular fistula creation, or whose blood vessel anatomy makes endovascular devices unsuitable may not benefit from this work.
What this research studies
If you need a new arteriovenous fistula (the blood vessel connection used for hemodialysis), this research will look at outcomes after the usual surgical operation versus newer devices that create the fistula from inside the blood vessels. The team will collect procedural and short-term outcome data on patients treated with either approach to learn which patients do better with each method. They will also document how often patients meet the anatomic requirements for the endovascular devices, since not everyone is eligible for those methods. The goal is to use these results to plan a larger trial that would directly guide patient and clinician choices about fistula creation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help patients and doctors choose the approach that leads to better initial success, fewer additional procedures, and fewer complications when creating dialysis access.
How similar studies have gone: Early industry-sponsored trials and small studies showed the endovascular devices can work and they are FDA-approved, but no large prospective head-to-head comparisons with surgical AVF have been done.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Woo, Karen — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Woo, Karen
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Cardiovascular changes after AV fistula creation and how autophagy affects it
A VA-led project looks at how blood vessel remodeling after AV fistula surgery may be helped by understanding and targeting autophagy.
-
Nanoparticle delivery to prevent AV fistula narrowing
A new nanoparticle-based approach aims to prevent AV fistula narrowing in people with kidney failure who rely on dialysis.
-
Molecular control of arterial-to-vein remodeling in fistula maturation
This study explores how vein cells change to help arteriovenous fistulas mature, with the aim of improving outcomes for people needing hemodialysis.
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How the protein calprotectin affects healing of dialysis fistulas
Looking at whether a protein called calprotectin causes narrowing that keeps new dialysis fistulas from becoming usable for people with kidney failure.
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Improving AV fistula longevity by guiding vein remodeling
A research project is exploring how to help veins adapt better when used for hemodialysis access so patients have fewer costly procedures.
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Bioabsorbable wrap to improve AV fistula outcomes
A new bioabsorbable wrap is being studied to help AV fistula surgery heal better and stay open longer for people needing hemodialysis.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.