title: [Management of prosthetic graft occlusion after lower extremity bypasses].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Report the experience of management of graft occlusion in patients with lower extremity bypasses and discuss the appropriate treatment strategy.
  
  
  METHODS
  From Oct. 2004 to Oct. 2009, 104 cases of graft occlusion were treated in 53 patients with lower extremity arterial bypasses, including medical therapy for 10 cases and redo operations for 94 cases: graft thrombectomy alone for 26 cases, redo bypass or extension bypass with prosthetic or autologous vein grafts for 23 cases, graft thrombectomy plus balloon angioplasty for 18 cases, major amputation for 14 cases, graft thrombectomy plus femoral or popliteal artery endarterectomy for 10 cases, removal of occluded graft with infection for 2 case, and autologous stem cell transplantation for 1 case.
  
  
  RESULTS
  77 reconstructive procedures were applied and graft failures recurred in 49 cases (63.6%). One patient died of acute renal failure during peri-operative period and 9 patients died during follow-up; 6 patients were lost to follow-up. The remaining 37 patients were followed: major amputation for 12 patients, patent grafts after reconstruction in 18 patients, and medical therapy after graft occlusion for 7 patients with limb salvage. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed 3-year survival of 77.4%, limb salvage of 64.7%, and graft patency of 45.7%. Effect of different procedures on cumulative patency was of no statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Graft occlusions after lower extremity bypasses may result in high rate of reocclusion and amputation. Optimal management should be based on a thorough analysis of individual condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China. mailtole@126.com
authors.forename: Qing-le
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xue-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chen-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001162:Arteriosclerosis Obliterans / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies