title: Vascular clips as a landmark for sites of anastomosis.
abstract: Vascular clips can be used in bypasses at risk of future occlusion, to assist with catheter placement for radiological intervention. We explain how vascular clips can be placed as a landmark for the sites of anastomosis. After completion of the vascular anastomosis, two or three bullets of medium-sized vascular clips are clipped to the tips of the vascular suture. The sites of the vascular anastomosis are checked by plain X-rays. Finding the inlet of the anastomosis in an occluded graft can be difficult, and the marker proved helpful for introducing the guide-wire through the inlet of the site of anastomosis. The vascular clips around the popliteal anastomosis enabled us to clearly differentiate above-knee from below-knee femoropopliteal bypasses using plain X-ray postoperatively. This is a simple yet effective method of identifying the site of vascular anastomosis. Thus, we recommend using vascular clips as a landmark to aid in postoperative intervention by allowing clear identification of the level of anastomosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Ik
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Se-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Byung-Boong
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000098:blood supply; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D012016:Reference Values; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*