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What is an Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF)?

April 26, 2017arteriovenous avf fistula

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What is an Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF)?

1 Answer

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10 Posted

An arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is a direct connection between an artery and a vein. The blood bypasses the capillaries and tissues, and returns to the heart. Arterial blood has a higher blood pressure than veins and causes swelling of veins involved in a fistula. AVF’s are similar to AVM’s in that they both disrupt the circulatory cycle. An AVF is characterized by a single connection between and artery and a vein, whereas an AVM contains multiple arteries and veins. Larger AVF’s can cause heart failure.