Immediate use of an arteriovenous prosthetic graft for life-saving dialysis in a child.

BACKGROUND: Autologous arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are the current gold standard for vascular access in hemodialysis (HD). However, in pediatric patients, specific clinical settings may contraindicate the procedure, thus mandating the use of a prosthetic graft (PG). CASE-DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT: We report a case of successful polycarbonate urethane graft implantation and subsequent resumption of HD 12 h after the procedure in a young girl with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), challenging vascular anatomy and the absence of vascular access. CONCLUSIONS: The use of polycarbonate urethane PGs in children with ESRD and difficult vascular accesses may represent a valid alternative for early resumption of HD.