[Unusual complication of surgery of popliteal artery aneurysm: report of a case and considerations on the surgical technique].

A popliteal artery aneurysm was submitted to an exclusion surgery and autologous reversed saphenous vein bypass. The proximal ligation of the popliteal artery was performed 3cm above the aneurysm. A large branch of the artery below this point remained patent maintaining a communication with a branch of deep femoral artery. Due to this fact residual circulation inside the aneurysm was observed. The patient was reoperated in order to ligate the collateral branch and resect part of the aneurysm. This kind of complication of the technique proposed by Edwards is not common and does not invalidate this technique preferred by most surgeons.