BACKGROUND The purpose of the present study was to investigate hypoxemic complications of limbs with arteriovenous access by means of transcutaneous oximetry. METHODS The study was a prospective assessment of 31 limbs with arteriovenous access using transcutaneous oximetry. Each limb was measured 4 times: before arteriovenous construction, the first post‐operative day, the first post‐operative month, and the fourth post‐operative month. The contralateral limb was used as control for every measurement. RESULTS The first postoperative day was characterized by an acute drop in the tissue oxygenation of the limb with arteriovenous access (p = 0.03). This hypoxia was compensated for in the first month by a gradual return of transcutaneous oxygen values to pre‐operative levels. Two patients developed a steal syndrome, characterized by abnormally low transcutaneous oxygen (< 40 mmHg). CONCLUSION Transcutaneous oximetry is a simple and accurate method for objectively assessing the whole spectrum of alterations in tissue oxygenation (from transient hypoxia to steal syndrome) caused by arteriovenous access.