[15-year experience with PTFE-grafts "Ecoflon" in Leriche s syndrome]

Analyzed herein are the outcomes of 1,079 reconstructions of the aortofemoral segment, performed for Leriche s syndrome using polytetrafluoroethylene grafts "Ecoflon" during the period from 1997 to 2012. Hospital lethality amounted to 3.1%, frequency of thromboses was 0.53% and that of amputations equalled 0.53%. The patients were followed up at terms varying from 6 to 180 months. Cumulative patency of the bypass grafts at 1 year amounted to 99.3±0.2%, at 5 years to 97.3±0.6%, at 10 year to 91.9±1.9%, and to 90.0±2.7% after 15 years. Primary patency amounted to 97.6±0.4%, 90.9±1.1%, 75.9±2.7% and 71.4±4.1%, respectively. Grafts infection occurred in 1.3% of cases (0.2% in the early, and 0.83% in the remote postoperative periods). False aneurysms of distal anastomoses were registered in 0.5% of cases. A total of 137 reoperations were performed (104 for graft thromboses, 9 for pseudoaneurysms of anastomoses, and 7 for graft infection). Seventeen operations were carried out for ischaemia relapse due to progression of the occluding process in patent grafts. The amputation rate amounted to 6.6%. Based on the obtained findings a conclusion is drawn that polytetrafluoroethylene grafts "Ecoflon" comply with the current standards of quality.