Dialysis dilemma: which access surgery is safer for seniors?

NCT ID NCT04646226

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Wake Forest University Health Sciences Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study compares two types of surgery to create dialysis access in older adults (60+) with end-stage kidney disease. One method connects a vein directly to an artery (fistula), the other uses a synthetic tube (graft). The goal is to see which leads to fewer infections and more days without a temporary catheter. 103 participants are being followed to guide better care for seniors.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: surgical procedure (fistula or graft creation)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could help doctors choose the better type of dialysis access for older patients, reducing infections and time on catheters.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage trial with only 103 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. Both procedures carry risks like infection or clotting.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

chronic kidney disease dialysis disequilibrium syndrome end stage renal failure

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

END STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE HEMODIALYSIS COMPLICATION

Contacts and locations

Locations

Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, United States
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States
Prisma Health Upstate

Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, United States
UCLA

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine

Birmingham, Alabama, 35487, United States
University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville

Knoxville, Tennessee, 37920, United States
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Madison, Wisconsin, 53726, United States

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