ABSTRACT
Background
Neuron function is impaired in uremic patients and peripheral neuropathy occurs in 60-80% of patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the effects of arteriovenous fistula surgery on the nerve functions in those are uncertain. The purpose of this study is to weigh the effects of arteriovenous fistula operation on the nerve functions by using electromyography among patients who have end-stage renal disease.
Methods
Forty-tree renal insufficiency patients on dialysis, living in Somalia, who had undergone arteriovenous fistula operation, were included in the present prospective study. The electromyographic measures (both motor and sensorial) of median, ulnar, radial nerve on the operated side arm were assessed before the operation. After the operation, tibial, peroneal and sural nerve electromyographic measures were again evaluated.
Results
The mean age of patients was 56 ± 17 years and 56.3% of them were male. 88% of the recruited patients underwent radiocephalic fistula operation while in the remaining 12% type of the fistula was to the brachiocephalic. Between the pre and the post operativeelectromyographic measures, there were not any significant changes except tibial nerve motor distal latency. Upper extremity motor and sensory nerve amplitudes, except ulnar sensory nerve amplitude, were found to have a non significant decrease trend after surgery.
Conclusions
The present results demonstrated that arteriovenous fistula operation did not have unfavorable affects on nerve functions in the adjacent operation side. Further studies are needed with a larger sample size to verify this issue.
Key words: Neuropathy, electromyography(EMG), arteriovenous fistula
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