Iliac artery ligation: the relative paucity of ischemic sequelae in renal transplant patients.

In order to assess the effect of iliac artery ligation on the distal extremity, the ten year experience of the Johns Hopkins renal transplantation program was reviewed. Among 467 transplant procedures in 390 patients there were six cases in which the common and/or external iliac artery had been ligated for control of untoward hemorrhage from an infected arteriotomy site. These six cases were studied in detail with particular attention to ischemic sequelae in the involved leg. There were no immediate or causally-related deaths. No patient lost a leg or required an immediate reconstructive procedure for limb salvage. Four of the six recovered ambulatory status, and only two of these required a later, elective reconstruction for claudication. The combination of these six with eight other similar patients previously reported provides a total of 14 cases of iliac artery ligation in renal transplant patients. No patient suffered actual limb loss, and only three underwent subsequent elective reconstruction for claudication. It is concluded that common and/or external iliac artery ligation without immediate revascularization may be performed for control of hemorrhage with little danger of limb loss in renal transplant patients.