Intraoperative use of transit time flow measurement improves patency of newly created radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas in patients requiring hemodialysis.

The intraoperative measurement of blood flow is a useful tool to predict the outcome of maturation in autologous arteriovenous fistula. With this method, technical problems can be detected and corrected intraoperatively. Routine implementation of intraoperative flow measurements has to be examined by prospective controlled trials.