Unilateral reconstruction of the iliac artery. A comparative evaluation

Unilateral reconstruction of the iliac artery because of obliterating atherosclerotic disease was performed on 122 patients (group A) in the period 1971 through 1979. A bifurcation dacron bypass was used for iliac artery reconstruction in 52 patients (group B) during the same period. Of the group A patients, 24% required eventual contralateral iliac reconstruction, and in 16% redoing of the ipsilateral operation became necessary. In group B the need for redoing was 25%. The 30-day mortality was 1.6% in group A and 7.8% in group B. The patency rates were similar up to 5 years postoperatively. The authors conclude that there is a place for unilateral iliac artery reconstruction, especially in high-risk cases or for patients with short life expectation who require relief of the vascular obstruction but for whom bilateral operation is not immediately mandatory.