title: Initial experience with a novel hybrid vascular graft for peripheral artery disease.
abstract: This report describes the successful use of a new hybrid vascular graft as a conduit for above knee femoro-popliteal bypass surgery. The graft consists of a proximal (heparin coated) expanded polytetrafluoroethylene section but ends distally as a nitinol reinforced self-expandable stent that is covered and constrained, allowing a sutureless distal anastamosis. With this graft the creation of above knee bypasses in situations where lesions extend to the popliteal artery behind the knee, or in cases where the above knee popliteal artery is severely calcified is still possible. This avoids the necessity of an infragenicular bypass with potentially inferior long-term patency rates, especially when no autologous venous bypass material is available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, AZ Maria Middelares Hospital, Ghent, Belgium - willem.willaert@azmmsj.be.
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Willaert
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, AZ Maria Middelares Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Claes
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, AZ Maria Middelares Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flamme
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, AZ Maria Middelares Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jacobs
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D000069322:Self Expandable Metallic Stents; D000071062:Sutureless Surgical Procedures; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; C013616:nitinol; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene