Last update:
13-Nov-2007

The introduction of hemodialysis for the treatment of chronic renal failure represents one of the most important medical milestones of the 20th century. In 1943 Willem J. Kolff constructed the first artificial kidney machine, which definitely marks the beginning of dialysis history. Following the introduction of long-term intermittent hemodialysis, patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who used to die in the early days of their illness, are now provided with better survival and quality of life. However the development of hemodialysis therapy was not feasible until the introduction firstly of the external arteriovenous shunt, by Quinton et al in 1960, but mainly of the endogenous arteriovenous fistula, by Appel et al in 1966. Unfortunately, although subcutaneous prosthetic grafts appeared few years later (1973), since those pioneering days until the introduction of DOQI (American recommendations for renal disease), only a few paces forward have been taken. In this review, the story is described of vascular access in hemodialysis patients from the early days of Willem J. Kolff up to the present.

Key words: Hemodialysis history, Willem J. Kolff.