title: The influence of diabetes on short-term outcome following a prosthetic above-the-knee femoro-popliteal bypass.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the influence of diabetes mellitus on early morbidity and mortality following a femoro-popliteal bypass.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data on patients subjected to a prosthetic above-the-knee femoro-popliteal bypass for atherothrombotic disease over a four-year period in the Durban Metropolitan Vascular Service were culled from a prospectively maintained computerised database. The patients were divided into two groups, diabetic and non-diabetic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and seventeen patient records were analysed; 102 (47%) patients were diabetic and 115 (53%) non-diabetic. The mean age in the two groups was almost similar. Differences noted between the two groups were that there was a higher prevalence of males and cigarette smokers in the non-diabetic group and hypertension among the diabetics. The prevalence of ischaemic heart disease in the two groups was not statistically significant. The majority of patients in both groups presented with critical limb ischaemia. Overall, 208 (96%) of the patients had their procedures performed using loco regional anaesthesia. The incidence of superficial wound infection between the two groups was not statistically significant. Deep infection, which necessitated removal of the graft, and cardiovascular complications were significantly higher in the diabetics. Four patients (3.9%) in the diabetic group and only one (0.9%) in the non-diabetic group died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetes mellitus significantly increases the incidence of graft sepsis and cardiovascular morbidity in patients undergoing above-the-knee femoro-popliteal bypass.
authors: Durban Metropolitan Vascular Service and Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. mulaudzit@samedical.co.za
authors: T V
authors: TV
authors: Mulaudzi
authors: J V
authors: JV
authors: Robbs
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Paruk
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Pillay
authors: T E
authors: TE
authors: Madiba
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Govindsamy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D019992:Databases as Topic; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000209:etiology; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome