title: Is the preferential use of polytetrafluoroethylene grafts for below-knee femoropopliteal bypass justified?
abstract: The usefulness of polytetrafluoroethylene graft (PTFE) for primary below-knee femoropopliteal bypass was examined. Forty-five primary femoropopliteal bypasses with PTFE were performed in 35 patients during a 7-year period. Patients were divided into two groups: above-knee (A-K group, n = 20) and below-knee (B-K group, n = 25) bypass. Differences in intergroup patient demographics were not significant. The primary patency rate in the A-K group at 3 and 5 years was 83.6% and 50.2%, respectively, and was 76.2% at both 3 and 5 years in the B-K group. These differences were not significant. Cause of graft failure, 3 grafts in the A-K group and 5 grafts in the B-K group, was kinking or thrombus formation associated with intimal hyperplasia at the distal anastomosis. All grafts in the A-K group with more than 10% stenosis in the early postoperative period had more than 50% stenosis in the late postoperative period. On the other hand, the one graft in the B-K group with 25% stenosis in the early postoperative period had 50% stenosis in the late postoperative period. We concluded that the use of PTFE for primary below-knee femoropopliteal artery is reasonable when atherosclerosis in the proximal popliteal artery is slight. However, close follow-up is necessary to detect and treat graft stenosis early.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zempo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Esato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O-Hara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takenaka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee; D015993:Life Tables; D008875:Middle Aged; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene