["Suspended" popliteal artery shunts. A report on 15 cases (author's transl)]

A "suspended" popliteal artery (S.P.A.) constitutes one of the most pejorative anatomical forms for atheromatous lesions of the lower limbs, as obliteration of the superficial femoral artery is often associated with atheromatous lesions in the tibial arteries, making them inaccessible to arterial reconstruction. Operations have been conducted on 5 cases (14 patients) over a period of 3 years. The average age of the patients was 71.6 years and the average follow-up period was 13 months. In each case operation was required to avoid amputation. Venous material was used for the shunt in 10 cases, while 5 had composite (n = 3) or prosthetic (n = 2) material. Postoperative mortality was nul, but 28% died by the end of the first year. Thrombosis occurred in 3 cases, at the 2nd, 7th, and 9th month respectively (actuarial permeability rate after 1 year: 72%), and 4 patients had high amputations (leg: 3, thigh: 1) in spite of permeability of the shunt is two cases (actuarial conservation rate of the limbs after 1 year: 67.5%). An analysis of the results of these 15 cases and those rare series reported in the published literature, enables definition of the indications for revascularization of an S.P.A.