How invasive is the surgery for a dialysis fistula?

The Radiological Society of North America considers the dialysis fistula procedure to be minimally invasive. It is used to join an artery and a vein in a dialysis patient to make a bigger, high-flow blood vessel for use during dialysis, a process that cleans the waste out of blood.

Fistula surgery is usually performed using local anesthesia, notes the Keck School of Medicine. Pain, bruising, swelling and a buzzing sensation felt around the access site are normal after the procedure, according to the Beck Israel Deaconess Medical Center. There may be oozing around the site, but significant bleeding is not normal. The sense of touch and coloration of the hand should be normal after surgery.