title: Infrainguinal bypass grafting using lyophilized saphenous vein allografts for limb salvage.
abstract: Critical ischemia in patients with extensive femoropopliteal occlusive disease often ends in amputation in the absence of a suitable autologous vein for reconstruction. Cryopreserved vascular allografts have been used as an alternative conduit with poor results. Antigenicity and rejection are assumed to account for graft failure. Lyophilized vessels have demonstrated patency and structural integrity in the vascular system in our previous experimental studies. We report four patients that underwent femorodistal bypass grafting with lyophilized saphenous veins who lacked usable autologous vein for arterial reconstruction. Early graft thrombosis occurred in three patients who required major amputations. Duplex scans for graft surveillance did not reveal previous significant abnormalities. These cases demonstrate that the clinical use of lyophilized venous allografts for infrainguinal arterial reconstructions failed to yield satisfactory patency and limb salvage. Lyophilized veins therefore are not useful alternative conduits in patients with critical ischemia and no suitable autologous vein grafts.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005612:Freeze Drying; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000601:surgery*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D023821:Limb Salvage / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D017211:Treatment Failure