Comparisons between prosthetic vascular graft and saphenous vein graft in femoro-popliteal bypass

Infrainguinalfemoropopliteal bypass (IFPB) is recommended to peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with a long occlusion of the superficial femoral artery (SFA). The aims of our study were to determine the patency of graft materials, and identify the risk factors of graft failure.

From January 1995 to April 2011, we had performed 380 IFPBs in 351 patients, including 302 femoro-above the knee (AK) bypasses and 78 femoro-below the knee (BK) bypasses. We compare age, sex, severity of ischemia between polytetra-uoroethylene (PTFE) graft and saphenous vein (SV) graft, and evaluate patency rate rates of the two groups.

The primary patency rates at 5 years for SV (n = 76 limbs) and PTFE grafts (n = 226 limbs) in AK were 85.2% and 64.5% (log rank = 0.03), and the secondary patency rates at 5 years for SV and PTFE grafts in AK were 88.2% and 79.0% (log rank = 0.13). The primary patency rates at 5 years for SV (n = 50 limbs) and PTFE grafts (n = 28 limbs) in BK were 63.2% and 40.0% (log rank = 0.08), and the secondary patency rates at 5 years for SV and PTFE grafts in BK were 71.6% and 55.5% (log rank = 0.18).

There was no statistical significant difference in secondary patency rates between SV and PTFE in IFPB. PTFE grafts as SV grafts can be a good alternative bypass material in IFPB instead of SV grafts.