Question

An arteriovenous fistula is a surgical anastomosis of an artery with a vein, bypassing the capillary bed, to allow the faster flow rates needed for hemodialysis. Similarly, an arteriovenous graft serves the same function but utilizes a synthetic tube, not the patient's naive blood vessels, to bridge arterial and venous flow while avoiding tiny capillaries.

how to explain this to a non medical person?

Answer 1

An arteriovenous fistula is the joining of your vein and artery to make a safer, faster connection for your dialysis.
An arteriovenous graft is similar, but uses a tube that we put in, instead of relying on the vein and artery alone.