Evaluation of endarterectomy for aortoiliac and aortoiliofemoral occlusive disease.

During the past 11 years, 180 patients with aortoiliac and aortoiliofemoral occlusive disease were treated exclusively by endarterectomy. There were 59 patients in the former group and 121 patients in the latter group. A standard method of aortoiliac endarterectomy was applied to all patients. However, when disease extended to the external iliac and common femoral arteries, the eversion endarterectomy proved to be an invaluable technical aid. Cumulative patency rates to 11 years for the aortoiliac group was 85.7%, and for the aortoiliofemoral group it was 90.6%. Our results suggest that endarterectomy is the procedure of choice for the management of obilterative disease in the aorta, iliac, and femoral arteries.