Postoperative changes in bypass vein grafts and collateral arteries after femoropopliteal arterial reconstructive...

Postoperative changes in the bypass veins and collateral arteries after femoropopliteal arterial reconstructive surgery were evaluated on the basis of control arteriographic studies. Arteriographies were made in 87 cases after venous bypass reconstruction. There were three aneurysms during the follow-up. Ten of the 69 patent bypass veins showed multiple stenotic lesions one to six months after surgery. It was assumed that these changes were caused by intimal hyperplasia. There was a statistically significant decrease in the size of the profunda femoris artery when the reconstruction was functioning at the time of control arteriography. However, no significant decrease was found in the group in which the reconstruction failed before one year postoperatively. Similar observations were made regarding the size and number of the midzone and re-entry collateral vessels.