Retaining a nonfunctional synthetic arterial bypass graft as a tunnel for future bypass using a vein graft: technical note.

Reoperation after infrainguinal arterial bypass may be difficult because of scar tissue from the previous bypass operation and usually involves removal of the old synthetic bypass graft. The authors describe a novel method of retaining the old thrombosed, externally reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene graft and using it as a tunnel for redo bypass using a vein.