Umbilical vein graft for lower limb ischaemia.
Over a two-year period 30 patients in a British district general hospital had human umbilical vein grafts (Meadox Medical) inserted for severe lower limb ischaemia. There were no perioperative deaths but 6 patients subsequently died from their atherosclerosis. The cumulative patency rate at one year was 70%. Five patients suffered immediate graft failure and all required amputation. Failures were due to inappropriate case selection and early technical inexperience with handling the graft.
D000368:Aged; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000601:surgery*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000637:transplantation*