Inadvertent rupture of a composite vein graft by angioplasty

The superiority of vein over polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a bypass conduit for grafts ending below the knee makes it the material of choice for this purpose. When insufficient long saphenous vein is available, lengths of arm vein may be used as a satisfactory alternative to make a composite graft. This may cause confusion in subsequent graft surveillance programs as the arm vein segment may show different characteristics from the remainder of the graft. We report a case where a stenosis developed in the arm vein segment of a bypass graft which subsequently ruptured during balloon angioplasty with formation of a false aneurysm. This was due to the balloon size being selected on the basis of the size of the long saphenous vein section of the graft instead of the arm vein segment. Full communication between surgeon and radiologist must include complete details of all materials used in bypass grafts in order to avoid potentially disastrous results from angioplasty.