Femorotibial bypass for limb salvage using human umbilical vein.
A series of 112 consecutive femorotibial bypasses was reviewed in which glutaraldehyde-stabilized human umbilical vein was used for the bypass. The duration of follow-up was between 6 months and 2 1/2 years. Cumulative patency at 2 years for the entire group was 9 per cent. The state of the pedal arteries, site of the distal anastomosis and age of the patient influenced the results. The difference in the patency rates at 1 year between patients with 3 patent pedal arteries and those with only 1 is significant (P less than 0.001) as is that between those with 3 and those with 2 (P = 0.024). Of 49 patients with pre-gangrene, in whom the bypass worked for a period in excess of 2 months, only 7 eventually required amputation in contrast to 32 of a group of 39 similar patients in whom the bypass failed early.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005528:Foot / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000601:surgery*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D014471:Umbilical Veins