[Role of postoperative anticoagulant treatment following femoro-popliteal venous bypass. Interim evaluation of a controlled clinical study].

Eighty-eight patients underwent a classical reversed saphenous vein graft for femoro-popliteal occlusive disease and were enrolled in a controlled clinical trial. During the second postoperative week the patients were allocated randomly into one of two groups: group I consisted of 42 patients who received dicumarol and group II (46 patients) served as a control group without any anticoagulant treatment. The mean follow-up time was 24 months. After 12 months the cumulative patency rate was 82%, after 18 months 76% and after 24 months 76%; for patients receiving dicumarol treatment the respective figures were 92%, 86% and 86% and for those with no treatment 70%, 67% and 67%, the difference being significant. When the bypass operation was performed for limb salvage (clinical stages III and IV) the overall results were worse (12 months: 72%, 18 months: 68%, 24 months: 68%) than in stages II, II-III (12 months: 90%, 18 months: 85%, 24 months: 85%). In limb salvage surgery the positive effects of anticoagulant treatment were significant (with treatment: 12 months 87%, 18 months 86%, 24 months 86%; without treatment: 12 months 58%, 18 months 54%, 24 months 54%).