Arteriovenous shunt (AV shunt)

An arteriovenous shunt is an anatomical or surgically created conduit that connects an artery directly to a vein, bypassing the capillary network. It can be congenital, pathological (e.g., vascular malformations), or iatrogenic (intentionally created for purposes such as haemodialysis vascular access). AV shunts can strongly influence cardiac output and systemic hemodynamics, and may contribute to clinical problems including high-output cardiac failure, volume overload, and vascular complications. AV shunts are classified based on their location (such as peripheral or spinal), type (fistula, graft, or malformation), and clinical indication.

Other names

AV shuntarteriovenous fistulaarteriovenous graftAVFAVGdialysis shunt