title: Early experience with synchronous aorto-bifemoral and femoro-popliteal bypass grafts.
abstract: Over a three-year-period 51 concomitant aorto-bifemoral and femoro-popliteal reconstructions, using prosthetic materials below the inguinal ligament, were carried out in 39 patients, with both aorto-iliac and femoro-popliteal disease, presenting with severe lower limb ischaemia. Thirteen grafts were inserted for rest pain and/or gangrene, while 38 were performed for disabling claudication. There was no perioperative mortality. Cummulative patency for all femoro-popliteal grafts was 53% at 2 years. Limb salvage rates of 84.6% at 2 years were achieved in patients with critical ischaemia. These results suggest that synchronous aorto-bifemoral and femoro-popliteal reconstructions with prosthetic materials can be performed safely in selected patients with acceptable early patency and limb salvage rates.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgery, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, U.K.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cuschieri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: MacBain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology