Radial artery-first dorsal metacarpal vein arteriovenous fistula in the first interdigital space of the dorsal hand for hemodialysis

A radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula in the anatomical snuffbox (tabatière region) was first described in 1969 as the most peripheral site for arteriovenous fistula in the upper limb. In cases in which the internal diameter of the first dorsal metacarpal vein under avascularization is ⩾2.0 mm, we have adopted a new operative technique for creating a radial artery-first dorsal metacarpal vein arteriovenous fistula in the first interdigital space of the dorsal hand, which lies between the thumb and the index finger. This technique is the creation of the arteriovenous fistula using the first dorsal metacarpal vein and the most peripheral site in the upper limb. To our knowledge, no previous report has described the creation of a radial artery-first dorsal metacarpal vein arteriovenous fistula. We herein describe the steps of the technique and report its successful performance in a patient with chronic renal failure.