Surgical Complications and Risk Mitigation

Complication	Description	Potential Ways to Reduce Risk
Haemorrhage	Damage to artery, vein or anastomosis leak requiring transfusion.
Injury to Surrounding Structures	Depends on the specific location of the fistula.
Anaesthetic Risks	Includes tooth/throat damage, drug reactions, nausea, cardiovascular/respiratory issues.	Addressed in pre-op anaesthetist assessment.

Complication	Description	Potential Ways to Reduce Risk
Pain	Typically minimal pain post-operation.
Bleeding	Minor bleeding and bruising at the fistula site.
Infection	Rare superficial wound infections.	Peri-operative antibiotics minimize infection risk.
Scarring	Potential keloid scar formation.
Seroma	Lymphatic fluid swelling due to node disruption.	Careful lymphatic dissection and ligation.
Blood Clots	Risk of DVTs/PEs post-op, especially in high-risk patients.	Anti-embolism stockings and LMWH peri-op.
Failure to Mature	About 20% of fistulas fail to form fully.	Ensure optimal vessel diameters and meticulous technique.
Steal Syndrome	Over-diversion of blood causing distal ischemia.
Stroke, MI, Kidney Failure, Death	Low but possible risk in major surgery.

Complication	Description	Potential Ways to Reduce Risk
Reintervention	Fistulas may narrow, occlude, fail to mature, or develop steal syndrome requiring corrective treatment.

Consent AVF