title: Avoiding early failure of tibial prosthetic bypass grafts.
abstract: In a series of 97 tibial reconstructions using PTFE bypass grafts the value of perioperative anticoagulation was studied. Acetylsalicylic acid as well as low-dose heparin treatment resulted in a high graft failure rate during the first postoperative days (42%). Patency could be restored in half of the cases by simple thrombectomy. When heparin was given at a dose of 1000 I.U. per hour for two days the graft failure rate was 14%. Only one out of eight thrombosed grafts could be re-opened by thrombectomy. Long-term patency, however, was similar in both groups. We conclude that perioperative heparin treatment is a suitable method to avoid unnecessary thrombectomies of long prosthetic bypass grafts.
mesh_terms: D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000601:surgery; D013977:Tibia / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin