Clinical application of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) arterovenous graft in hemodialysis YAN Wei, ZHANG Fu-xian, ZHANG Chang-ming, et al. Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Beijing 100038, China Corresponding auther: ZHANG Fu-xian, E-mail: fuxian@263.net Abstract Objective To investigate the value of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) arterovenous grafts (AVG) in hemodialysis. Methods The clinical data of 51 cases of PTFE grafts admitted at Beijing Shijitan Hospital were analyzed retrospectively, which was compared with 193 cases of arterovenous fistula (AVF) simultaneously on the morbidity of complications, time of maturation, postoperative intervention measures and 1-year-pentancy rates. Results The operations of PTFE grafts were successful. The operation time is from 2 to 3h. The morbidity of complications of PTFE grafts was higher than that of native AVF. The mobidity of immaturation of PTFE grafts (0 case) was lower than that of AVF (12 cases). The average maturation time of PTFE grafts was 18.0±2.4 days, and it was shorter than that of AVF. There were 10 cases thrombosis in PTFE grafts. After thrombolysis and thrombectomy, the PTFE grafts were patent. One-year-patency rate of PTFE grafts was 85.1%, and that of AVF was 88.8%. Conclusion PTFE grafts has good results in hemodialysis, including the shorter time of maturation, the more blood volume, recurrence of patency after interventions of thromobosis and thrombectomy and the higher 1-year-patency. The method applies to the patients with poor vessels and failure of AVF especially. The two methods of PTFE grafts and AVF are dependent so as to achieve longer longevity of hemodialysis.