Femorodistal graft failure: is our follow-up adequate?
The central problem of femoral distal by-pass is the high incidence of graft failure, particularly in the first year with a steady fall-off in subsequent years. The nature of graft occlusion is related to immediate failure, usually technical, early failure due to myo-intimal hyperplasia and late failure due to progression of atheroma. Prevention lies in improved operative technique and early diagnosis during the post-operative follow-up period for which intravenous digital subtraction angiography may be important. Graft occlusion usually results in amputation, however, graft stenosis may be corrected by operation or by percutaneous trans-luminal angioplasty. Thus surveillance plus interventional radiology may lead to impaired graft patency.
D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors; D014654:Vascular Patency; D014680:Veins / Q000637:transplantation*