title: Experience with femoral vein grafts for infra-inguinal bypass.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prosthetic grafts are used for infra-inguinal bypass when autogenous veins, are inadequate but have poorer patency and greater risk of graft infection. We report the use of femoro-popliteal vein (FPV) for such cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  FPV was used in 20 infra-inguinal bypasses (14 combined with other veins). 11 were primary and 9 secondary reconstructions, involving 13 femoro-tibial and 7 femoro-popliteal bypasses. Mean follow up was 78 months. At one year, limb salvage was 83%, primary patency 61%, primary assisted patency 73% and secondary patency 78%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FPV is an acceptable conduit for infra-inguinal bypass when other vein sources are inadequate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, ABM University Health Board, Morriston Hospital, Swansea SA6 6NL, United Kingdom. j.kaczynski@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaczynski
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Gibbons
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006119:Groin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome