Which vessels are connected by a PTFE upper arm hemodialysis graft?

• A. Brachial artery to Basilic vein
• B. Radial artery to Cephalic vein
• C. Brachial artery to Cephalic vein
• D. Axillary artery to Basilic vein

Answer: (A)

An arteriovenous graft provides dialysis access by linking a high-pressure artery to a vein with a synthetic conduit, creating a high-flow channel that can be cannulated for dialysis. In the upper arm, the typical PTFE graft configuration connects the brachial artery to the basilic vein, creating a brachiobasilic graft. The brachial artery supplies robust arterial inflow, and the basilic vein—being a large vein in the upper arm—serves as an adequate outflow that can be transposed to a superficial position for easy cannulation. The other pairings are either more common in different locations (forearm) or reflect alternative access types (autogenous fistulas or less common proximal connections), making brachial artery to basilic vein the best match for an upper-arm PTFE graft.