Proximal arterial dilatation developing after surgical closure of long-standing posttraumatic arteriovenous fistula

Concomitant discovery of long-standing arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and proximal dilatation is commonplace whereas the disclosure of proximal arterial dilatation several years after closure of AVF is much more surprising and less often described. The goal of this study was to call attention to this late complication, to evaluate its prevalence, and to describe the mechanism and outcome after treatment. Six new observations were added to 11 cases already published in the literature. Most AVF were located in the popliteal or superficial femoral arteries. The mean duration of these AVF was 20 years and 7 months. The mean delay between closure of AVF and the discovery of arterial dilatation was 9 years and 8 months. One patient required emergency operation for rupture. Another patient sustained embolism. All patients were treated by exclusion-bypass. Six years after operation for arterial dilatation, one patient had to be reoperated on for impending rupture of an aortic aneurysm. These facts lead us to advocate 1) closure of all AVF, even when iatrogenic, whenever present for 45 days or longer, 2) careful observation of all patients after operation for long-standing AVF, 3) operation on all patients with arterial dilatation secondary to AVF, and 4) life-long surveillance of the proximal arteries of these patients.