title: Surgical stimulation of angiogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The results of surgical approaches are unsatisfactory in patients with a distal arterial bed that is ineligible for revascularization. In this retrospective study, we investigated outcomes in patients who underwent surgical interventions that are reported to induce angiogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  6 patients diagnosed with thromboangiitis obliterans were included in this study. Of these 6 patients, 2 underwent femoropopliteal bypass surgery using reversed great saphenous vein as a conduit. The other 4 underwent ascending venous arterialization (bypass from the popliteal artery to the great saphenous vein at the level of medial malleolus, using reversed great saphenous vein).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the early postoperative period, all of the reversed saphenous vein grafts were occluded. The mean postoperative ankle-brachial index increased from 0.33 to 0.83. During the postoperative period, intermittent claudication disappeared in all patients. Angiograms taken during the postoperative period showed evidence of neovascularization when compared to those taken during preoperative evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wound healing is an inflammatory process that simultaneously activates angiogenesis. We propose that the improved ankle-brachial index values and neovascularization shown in our patients were associated with this inflammatory process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Izmir Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozbek
authors.forename: Mert
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kestelli
authors.forename: Sahin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bozok
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ilhan
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yurekli
authors.forename: Berkan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozpak
authors.forename: Muhammet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akyuz
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bademci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation; D013919:Thromboangiitis Obliterans / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D058017:Vascular Grafting / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: Limb salvage; neovascularization; physiologic; saphenous vein; thromboangiitis obliterans; treatment outcome