Cost-effectiveness Study Comparing Endovascular and Surgical Arteriovenous Fistula Creation for Haemodialysis in Patients with End-stage Renal Failure

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health issue, affecting approximately 10% of the population.1,2 The number of patients starting renal replacement therapy has grown exponentially in recent years.3 Effective hemodialysis relies on a well-functioning vascular access (VA). The Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (KDOQI)4, the French Health Authority (HAS)5, and the European Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (ESVS)6 recommend native arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) as a primary option, referring to their lower morbidity, reduced mortality, and improved quality of life.7,8 An ideal AVF should allow cannulation with two needles, provide a blood flow of 300 to 600ml/min, resist infection and thrombosis, and have minimal adverse events.6 Between 2005 and 2007, 67-91% of patients in France used native AVFs.7 Data from the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) showed that AVF maturation varies significantly by country, patient and center characteristics. In Japan, 84% of AVFs were created in the forearm, compared to 54% in EUR/ANZ (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand), and 32% in the United States (US).9 Catheter-dependence following AVF creation remained high in EUR/ANZ and US patients, with nearly 70% still dependent 8 months after AVF creation. Failure to use AVFs within 6 months was associated to a 53% higher mortality rate in the following 6 months.9 A systematic review and meta-analysis of 318 studies10 reported that average AVF primary, assisted primary and secondary patency rates at one year were 64%, 73% and 79%, respectively. However, not all patent AVFs were suitable for dialysis: only 26% were mature at 6 months, and 21% were abandoned without ever being used.

Furthermore, up to 85% of AVFs require multiple re-interventions, including angioplasty, stenting, transposition, thrombectomy or thrombolysis within the first year.11-13 On average, up to 3.43 reinterventions per patient were required over the study duration, with higher rates for brachio-basilic accesses, contributing significantly to the overall cost of care.11-13 To improve outcomes, endovascular AVF creation techniques have been developed.14 These methods use radiofrequency or thermo-coagulation energy, guided by fluoroscopy and/or duplex ultrasound. Avoiding vessel dissection and mobilization, while minimizing trauma to the vascular wall and surrounding tissues, may help reduce the risk of intimal hyperplasia and AVF failure. This approach could lead to similar benefits as those demonstrated by surgical no-touch techniques.15 Preliminary results show a technical success rate of 97.5%, a 3-month maturation rate of 89.3%, a 1-year patency rate of 85.7%, and an average of 0.59 reinterventions per patient per year.16-19 As a results, data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) were compared to data from the Novel Endovascular Access Trial (NEAT) and both incident and prevalent patients with endoAVF required fewer interventions and had lower costs within the first year compared with matched patients with surgical AVFs.20 However, these devices are expensive (approximately €5,200 per patient) and the creation of an endovenous fistula is not yet listed in France's common classification of medical procedures (CCAM), making it ineligible for reimbursement by health insurance.21,22 In 2019, there were 15,653 hospitalizations in France for AVF creation and re-interventions to aid AVF maturation or restore patency in patients with end-stage renal disease. Although international studies suggest that endovascular AVF creation is effective,18,20,23 no French studies have yet replicated or confirmed these findings in the local context to support reimbursement claims. The 2018 ESVS guidelines also cite a lack of evidence on endovascular AVF creation.6 This protocol represents the first French medico-economic study to compare the two available endovascular AVF creation devices - Ellipsys® (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) and WaveLinQ® (BD, Bard, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, United States of America) - with traditional open surgery. This randomized clinical trial aims to provide crucial data for healthcare decision-makers, potentially paving the way for the adoption of these devices in France, enhancing patient care, and improving quality of life.