< to procedures Hemodialysis Acess For patients with end-stage renal failure, hemodialysis requires access to blood vessels, which will tolerate the high blood flow rates of the hemodialysis machine. This cannot be performed through normal veins in the arms. Because of this issue, communication between an artery and a vein in the arm is created to allow for permanent access for hemodialysis. When the communication is directly between an artery and a vein, it is know as an arteriovenous fistula. When there is a piece of Teflon tubing connecting the artery to the vein, it is known as an arteriovenous shunt. Each of these procedures has a set of advantages and disadvantages. For example, an arteriovenous fistula tends to last longer than an arteriovenous shunt; however, the time to maturation, or usability, is much longer for the arteriovenous fistula. While these permanent accesses are maturing it is common that a temporary access in the form of a large IV called a Tesio Catheter is placed in the neck for a period of one to five months.