TY - JOUR
TI - PTFE-vein composite grafts for critical limb ischaemia: a valuable
alternative to all-autogenous infrageniculate reconstructions
AU - Bastounis, E
AU - Georgopoulos, S
AU - Maltezos, C
AU - Alexiou, D and
AU - Chiotopoulos, D
AU - Bramis, J
JO - European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
PY - 1999
VL - 18
TODO - 2
SP - 127-132
PB - W B SAUNDERS CO LTD
SN - 1078-5884, 1532-2165
TODO - 10.1053/ejvs.1999.0880
TODO - composite graft; critical ischaemia; femorocrural reconstruction
TODO - Objectives: to analyse the long-term results of primary composite bypass
grafts comparing them to PTFE and vein grafts.
Design: a retrospective observational study.
Materials and methods: between 1980 and 1996, 568 primary
infrageniculate bypass procedures were performed; a saphenous-vein graft
was used in 428 procedures, a PTFE graft in 44 and a composite
PTFE-saphenous-vein graft in 96. Thirty-six composite grafts were below
the knee and the remaining 60 extended more distally. Twenty-one bypass
grafts from the latter group were sequential. Mean follow-up was 45.6
months. Five-year primary and secondary patency and limb salvage rates
were compared by life-table analysis.
Results: cumulative 5-year primary patency for composite grafts was 58%
and for saphenous-vein grafts 74%, while secondary patency rate was
75% and 82%, respectively (p<0.05). The 5-year limb salvage late was
80% for composite grafts and 88% for saphenous-vein grafts (p>0.05).
The primary and secondary patency and limb salvage rate for PTFE grafts
was 24%, 31% and 40%, respectively.
Conclusion: Composite grafts of PTFE and saphenous vein are
significantly superior to PTFE graft alone and should be used in
patients who lack sufficient length of saphenous vein.
ER -