Short-Term Results of Varicose Vein Graft Used for Lower-Limb Bypass Surgery

Objective: Due to the potential of thrombus blockage and aneurysm rupture, saphenous veins with varicose veins are not advised for use as bypass grafts. However, if no other autologous vein is accessible for use as a conduit in lower-limb bypass; varicose vein transplants may be employed. Few reports have studied the clinical results of lower-limb bypass using varicose vein grafts. We therefore investigated whether or not acceptable patency rates of varicose vein graft for lower-limb bypass could be achieved. Methods: We performed lower-limb bypass using varicose vein graft on nine limbs from June 2017 to May 2020 and conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Results: Early graft failure following bypass surgery using a varicose vein transplant was not detected, and major complications, such as acute graft occlusion or aneurysm dilatation, were not noted throughout the follow-up period. The primary and secondary patency of varicose vein graft was 70.0% and 100% at 3 years, respectively. Conclusion: The incidence of major problems of the varicose vein transplants does not seem to be higher than with conventional saphenous vein grafts. If there are no other appropriate autologous veins, a varicose vein graft may be useful as a conduit for bypass surgery.