Thromboendarterectomy vs. aortic bifurcation graft for unilateral iliac artery atherosclerosis.

Retrospective comparison was made of the results from 57 unilateral ilio-femoral thromboendarterectomies in 55 patients and 42 bifurcation grafts in 42 patients. There were three hospital deaths, one after thromboendarterectomy and two after insertion of bifurcation graft. No early or late graft infection occurred. The five-year cumulative patency rate was significantly higher in the bifurcation graft group than after thromboendarterectomy (85% vs. 61%). This higher patency rate supports the concept that local thromboendarterectomy has only limited indications.