[Sonographic studies of the aorta after prosthetic replacement (follow-up of 112 patients)]

Sonography should be routinely used for clinical follow up of patients with prosthetic grafts replacing the abdominal aorta and iliac vessels. 112 patients were investigated and the normal findings as well as pathological changes following aortic graft implantation are described and the difference between Dacron and PTFE-Y graft material discussed. Adequate visualization of anatomic detail of the graft was found in 82.1%. In the remaining patients the site of implantation was partly or completely overshadowed by bowel gas. 67.4% showed normal graft findings, whilst the remaining 32.6% exhibited incipient or manifest minor or major pathological changes such as dilatation of graft material, kinking, pseudoaneurysm, intraluminal thrombotic material and occlusion of parts of the implanted grafts. Dilatation was seen only with Dacron grafts and kinking only with PTFE-Y graft material. In combination with the clinical findings sonography helps to reduce the necessity of invasive angiographic procedures and allows early recognition of abnormal anatomical situations.