Advantages of the arteriovenous fistula (AVF), including long patency and few complications, were ascertained more than 2 decades ago and may not apply to the contemporary dialysis population. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Estimates were pooled using a random-effects model and sources of heterogeneity were explored using metaregression. Patients treated with long-term hemodialysis using an AVF. English-language studies indexed in MEDLINE between 2000 and 2012 using prospectively collected data on 100 or more AVFs. Age, AVF location, and study location. Outcomes of interest were primary AVF failure and primary and secondary patency at 1 and 2 years. 7,011 citations were screened and 46 articles met eligibility criteria (62 unique cohorts; n = 12,383). The rate of primary failure was 23% (95% CI, 18%-28%; 37 cohorts; 7,393 AVFs). When primary failures were included, the primary patency rate was 60% (95% CI, 56%-64%; 13 studies; 21 cohorts; 4,111 AVFs) at 1 year and 51% (95% CI, 44%-58%; 7 studies; 12 cohorts; 2,694 AVFs) at 2 years. The secondary patency rate was 71% (95% CI, 64%-78%; 10 studies; 11 cohorts; 3,558 AVFs) at 1 year and 64% (95% CI, 56%-73%; 6 studies; 11 cohorts; 1,939 AVFs) at 2 years. In metaregression, there was a significant decrease in primary patency rate in studies that started recruitment in more recent years. Low quality of studies, variable clinical settings, and variable definitions of primary AVF failure. In recent years, AVFs had a high rate of primary failure and low to moderate primary and secondary patency rates. Consideration of these outcomes is required when choosing a patient's preferred access type. Copyright © 2014 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
