arteriovenous anastomosis

Definition of arteriovenous anastomosis

[arteri-]ven--ous anastomosis - Abnormal connection between artery and vein (abnormal opening back of artery and vein); Anatomically, an arteriovenous anastomosis (AVA) is a high-volume, low-resistance vessel that provides a path for blood to flow directly from the arterial system to the venous system. In natural physiology, they are abundant in the skin of the hands and feet, where they play a vital role in thermoregulation by shunting blood to the surface to dissipate heat or closing to conserve it. In clinical medicine, a surgical anastomosis is often created to develop an arteriovenous fistula (AVF), which provides the high blood flow rates necessary for long-term dialysis access in patients with end-stage renal disease.

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Etymology of arteriovenous anastomosis

greek The term combines the anatomical components with a Greek description of its structure:

• Arterio-: From the Greek artēria, meaning “windpipe” or “vessel” (originally believed to carry air)​
• Venous: From the Latin vena, meaning “blood vessel” or “vein.”
• Anastomosis: Derived from the Greek anastomōsis, meaning “outlet” or “opening”. It is composed of ana- (“up” or “again”) and stoma (“mouth”), literally meaning “to provide with a mouth” or to create a communication between two channels.

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A Word from MedlinePlus

An anastomosis is a surgical connection between two structures. It usually means a connection that is created between tubular structures, such as blood vessels or loops of intestine.

For example, when part of an intestine is surgically removed, the two remaining ends are sewn or stapled together (anastomosed). The procedure is known as an intestinal anastomosis.

Information

Examples of surgical anastomoses are:

• arteriovenous anastomosis fistula (an opening created between an artery and vein) for dialysis
• Colostomy (an opening created between the bowel and the skin of the abdominal wall)
• Intestinal, in which two ends of intestine are sewn together
• A connection between a graft and a blood vessel to create a bypass

Images

• Gastrectomy
• Before and after small intestine anastomosis

References

Galandiuk S, Netz U, Morpurgo E, Tosato SM, Abu-Freha N, Ellis CT. Colon and rectum. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 52.

Review Date 5/29/2024

Updated by: Debra G. Wechter, MD, FACS, General Surgery Practice Specializing in Breast Cancer, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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DERIVATIONS of arteriovenous anastomosis

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Med roots Appendix A Prefixes Appendix B Combining Forms Appendix C Suffixes Appendix D Suffix forms