Axillofemoral bypass graft fracture

Since the introduction of axillofemoral bypass more than 30 years ago, there have been numerous reports demonstrating the value of this procedure in patients with aortoiliac occlusive disease who are too ill to undergo direct reconstruction. Along with the increasing use of axillofemoral bypass have come the usual graft-related complications including thrombosis, hematoma formation, and infection. A more unusual occurrence, however, is disruption of the axillary anastomosis with formation of a false aneurysm. We report herein a case in which the body of an axillofemoral graft fractured just distal to the axillary anastomosis resulting in complete disruption of the graft.