Interposition saphenous vein grafts for advanced occlusive disease and large aneurysms in the posterior circulation

The authors report their initial experience with the use of interposition saphenous vein grafts between the external carotid artery and the proximal posterior cerebral artery. The indications, results, and technical aspects of the operation are reviewed. All patients accepted for surgery were at high risk for a posterior circulation infarct, and all patients with ischemic symptomatology had continued to progress while on anticoagulant drugs or anti-platelet agents. Thus, all patients were at high risk, and 11 of the 14 patients operated on were confined to bed before surgery. Intraoperative graft flows varied from 35 to 170 ml/min, and postoperative graft flows ranged from 75 to 311 ml/min in the patent grafts. There were three early graft occlusions and two late graft occlusions; these all occurred in patients with relatively low flows at the time of surgery (40 ml/min or lower). Subdural hygroma was the next most frequent complication to graft occlusion. It was thought to be caused by the pulsating graft anastomosed to a major vessel through a small opening in the basal arachnoid, which provided a new path for cerebrospinal fluid flow in patients with a degree of preexisting atrophy. One patient with a large aneurysm in the posterior circulation underwent proximal intracranial clipping of the vertebral artery and bypass grafting simultaneously. There were seven excellent results and two good results in nine patients in whom the graft remained patent. In the five patients with graft occlusion, there were two minor strokes, two major strokes, and one death.