Outflow resistance and early occlusion of infrainguinal bypass grafts

Distal outflow vascular resistance (VR) has been measured intra-operatively during 67 infrainguinal bypass procedures to establish whether it might have a role as a predictive test for early graft thrombosis. The graft outflow was popliteal artery above the knee (48), popliteal artery distal to the knee (6) or a single calf vessel (13). VR was measured before anastomosis of the graft, calculated from the relationship between pressure and flow in the outflow artery during infusion of the patient's own blood at a constant rate. VR was measured before and after vasodilation with papaverine. Primary graft patency at 30 days was documented. In the 10 limbs in which graft thrombosis occurred, VR was 1167 +/- 367 mPRU, significantly higher than VR in 57 limbs with a patent graft, 850 +/- 310 mPRU (P = 0.02, Mann-Whitney U test). After papaverine, VR was 823 +/- 368 mPRU in the limbs with a thrombosed graft, significantly higher than that of limbs with a patent graft, 463 +/- 211 mPRU (P = 0.001). VR appeared to show most promise as a predictor of early thrombosis in the group of femoro-tibial and femoro-peroneal grafts. In this group, the value of 800 mPRU after papaverine was 92% efficient and was 80% sensitive, 100% specific and had a predictive value of 100% for early thrombosis. Distal outflow VR is an important factor in early graft thrombosis and might have a practical application as a predictor of early thrombosis of femoro-distal bypass grafts.