[Long-term results of femorocrural arterial reconstruction]

The objective of the paper is the fate of femorocrural arterial reconstructions during the long-term follow-up of 197 patients operated in 1970-1993. The patients were followed up after operation at 3-12-month intervals and cumulative curves of the patency of the reconstruction and preservation of the extremity were assessed by Kaplan-Meier s method. It was revealed that 5-year cumulative patency of femorocrural reconstructions is 55% and five-year preservation of the extremity even 78%, regardless of the patency of the reconstruction. The authors did not find a difference in the cumulative curves of patency between different crural arteries. The arteria fibularis is from the aspect of preservation of the extremity equivalent to both other arteries. From the comparative result of curves of cumulative patency for the reverse autologous asphena and for cast vascular prostheses ensued that even after five years there is no substantial difference between the two types of prostheses. In case of cast prostheses we must however foresee early thrombotic obstructions and thus repeated surgery such as thrombectomies sand plastic operations of distal anastomoses.