title: Distal polytetrafluoroethylene bypasses in patients older than 75 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) alone is justified for infrapopliteal arterial grafting in elderly patients with critical ischemia of the lower limbs who lack a suitable, autogenous saphenous vein.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive sample clinical study with a mean follow-up of 16 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  The surgical department of an academic tertiary care center and an affiliated secondary care center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients older than 75 years with critical ischemia of the lower limbs received 34 PTFE bypass grafts to the infrapopliteal arteries: 12 patients to the anterior tibial, 8 to the peroneal, 8 to the posterior tibial, and 2 to the dorsalis pedis artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cumulative survival, primary graft patency, and limb salvage rates expressed by standard life-table analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Operative mortality rate was 3%. Cumulative survival rate was 80% at 2 years (SE, 9.2%) and 43% at 3 years (SE, 11.4%). Cumulative primary patency rate was 67% at 2 years (SE 9.1%), and 61% at 3 years (SE, 12.7%). Cumulative limb salvage rate was 77% at 2 years (SE, 8.7%) and 70% at 3 years (SE, 12.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Polytetrafluoroethylene alone is justified as graft material for infrapopliteal bypass grafts in elderly patients with critical ischemia of the lower limbs and without a suitable autogenous saphenous vein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences and Applied Technologies, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Illuminati
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertagni
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Caliò
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papaspyropoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000601:surgery; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D016909:Tibial Arteries / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014654:Vascular Patency
chemical_list: D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene