title: Heparin-bonded expanded polytetrafluoroethylene femoropopliteal bypass grafts outperform expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts without heparin in a long-term comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts have become an acceptable prosthetic alternative to autologous vein for infrainguinal arterial reconstructions. Recently, heparin bonding to the graft's luminal surface has been used as an adjunctive method of improving graft patency. We retrospectively evaluated a prospective experience with heparin-bonded ePTFE (HePTFE) vs the results of a prior experience with standard ePTFE (SePTFE) to compare patency rates in above-knee (AK) and below-knee (BK) femoropopliteal bypass through the 5-year follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prosthetic femoropopliteal bypasses performed by our four-surgeon group were constructed using 6-mm SePTFE grafts before August 2007. Subsequently, all such bypasses were constructed using 6-mm HePTFE (Propaten graft; W. L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, Ariz). The surgical technique used in all cases throughout the study was similar irrespective of surgeon or graft material. Loss of primary patency was defined by graft thrombosis; duplex scan confirmed graft failure. Descriptive estimation of patency rates was carried out using standard Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze relationships between predictors and time to loss of patency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 192 AK (87 Propaten, 105 SePTFE) and 60 BK (42 Propaten, 18 SePTFE) grafts. Overall primary patency for Propaten was statistically better than SePTFE at years 1 (93.6% vs 84.2%), 2 (79.7% vs 73.8%), 3 (79.7% vs 69.5%), 4 (74.5% vs 59.9%) and 5 (74.5% vs 56.2%; log-rank test, P = .036). Five-year primary patency was superior for Propaten AK grafts (85.2% vs 59.3%; log-rank test, P = .028) and for Propaten BK grafts (59.6% vs 0.0/undeterminable; log-rank test, P = .016). Variables significantly associated with loss of patency for Propaten and SePTFE were claudication (hazard ratio [HR], 0.41), age (HR, 0.95), isolated popliteal artery (HR, 3.1-4.4), and ankle-brachial index after the procedure (HR, 0.10). Controlling for conduit effect, clopidogrel use did not significantly affect patency (P = .076). No grafts were associated with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data show that the Propaten HePTFE graft offered significantly better long-term patency over the SePTFE graft, suggesting Propaten as the prosthetic graft of choice for bypasses to the femoropopliteal artery when autologous vein is unavailable or inappropriate.
authors.affiliation: Sarasota Vascular Specialists, affiliated with Florida State University Medical School, Sarasota, Fla. Electronic address: rsamson@veinsandarteries.com.
authors.forename: Russell H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.affiliation: Sarasota Vascular Specialists, affiliated with Florida State University Medical School, Sarasota, Fla.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.affiliation: Sarasota Vascular Specialists, affiliated with Florida State University Medical School, Sarasota, Fla.
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Showalter
authors.affiliation: Sarasota Vascular Specialists, affiliated with Florida State University Medical School, Sarasota, Fla.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lepore
authors.affiliation: Sarasota Vascular Specialists, affiliated with Florida State University Medical School, Sarasota, Fla.
authors.forename: Deepak G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005431:Florida; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018579:Patient Selection; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D014654:Vascular Patency
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D006493:Heparin