Sequential bypass for multisegmental occlusive disease

We evaluated the effectiveness of a sequential bypass for multisegmental occlusive disease. Forty-seven multiple bypass grafts were performed on 43 patients ranging in age from 55 to 83 years (mean: 70 years). The indications for operation included incapacitating claudication in 20 limbs, resting pain in 15, and nonhealing ulcers in 12. An anatomical arterial bypass was performed on 36 limbs, consisting of an aorto-femoro-popliteal bypass in 21 limbs, a femoro-popliteal-posterior tibial bypass in 8, an ilio-femoro-popliteal bypass in 4, an ilio-femoro-posterior tibial bypass in 2, and a femoro-popliteal-plantar bypass in 1. Similarly, an extra-anatomical arterial bypass was performed on 11 limbs, consisting of an axillo-femoro-popliteal bypass in 6, a crossover femoro-femoro-popliteal bypass in 3, an axillo-femoro-posterior tibial bypass in 1, and a crossover femoro-femoro-anterior tibial bypass in 1. The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 77 months (mean: 23 months). Twelve graft failures occurred, and 2 of them required major amputations. The cumulative graft patency rate was 85% at one year and 65% at 3 years. Arterial Doppler examination revealed a mean preoperative ankle-brachial index of 0.29 +/- 0.25. The early and late mean postoperative ankle-brachial indices, however, increased to 0.97 +/- 0.19 and 0.84 +/- 0.25, respectively. Midterm results have indicated that such multiple sequential bypass grafts are effective.