Effects of hand dominance and sleep side preference on hemodialysis vascular access survival

We examined the effects of hand dominance and the patients' stated preference of the sleeping position on the survival of vascular accesses for hemodialysis in different locations. Analysis was made of vascular access survival times after 1, 126 vascular access surgeries performed between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 1994. We found that hand dominance and access site were not related to any survival differences in patients with autogenous fistulas, but thigh grafts on both sides had greater survival than arm grafts. The preferential side for sleeping similarly did not seem to affect access survival, but patients who stated a sleep preference on the side opposite their vascular graft tended to have longer access survival time.