It has been more than 60 years since Belding Hibbard Scribner used an arteriovenous shunt in a human being for the first time. The shunt consisted of two Teflon cannulas inserted percutaneously into the radial artery and cephalic veins with the external ends connected to a dialysis machine.
The shunt was successful and the patient, Clyde Shields, lived for a further 11 years