Interposition grafting for reoperation on the common femoral artery

This report details our experience with common femoral artery resection and Dacron interposition grafting in the management of vascular reoperations involving the common femoral artery.

Retrospective review.

University teaching hospital.

Consecutive reoperative patients who had common femoral artery interposition grafting for arteriosclerotic occlusive disease from 1986 to 1997.

Common femoral artery resection and interposition grafting.

Operative morbidity and mortality rates and long-term patency, limb salvage, patient survival, freedom-from-graft-infection, and freedom-from-reoperation rates.

Ninety-nine common femoral arteries (16 bilateral) were resected and replaced with Dacron interposition grafts in 83 patients (50 male, 33 female; mean age, 65 years) who had had 237 previous ipsilateral common femoral artery operations (mean, 2.4 operations; range, 1-9 operations). Simultaneous infrainguinal bypass grafts were performed in 52 operations (53%), and 60 operations (61%) were performed in patients who had had previous ipsilateral proximal bypass grafts. Operative mortality was 2%, with a 14% rate of perioperative wound complications. Mean follow-up time was 22 months. One- and 3-year assisted primary patency rates for the interposition grafts were 90% and 77%, respectively. Both 1- and 3-year life-table-determined limb salvage rates were 95%. One- and 3-year life-table-determined freedom-from-reoperation rates were 74% and 43%, respectively. One- and 3-year life-table-determined freedom-from-infection rates were 99% and 92%, respectively. One- and 3-year life-table-determined survival rates were 82% and 73%, respectively.

Common femoral artery resection and Dacron interposition grafting are safe, and they obviate many difficulties associated with reoperative common femoral artery surgery with satisfactory long-term results.