Treatment of chronic visceral ischemia.

Herein, we have described the surgical management of 23 patients with chronic intestinal ischemia. The patients presented most commonly with postprandial pain and weight loss. Diagnosis was confirmed by angiography, including lateral aortography. Surgery included bypass with Dacron being the most common graft material. As many vessels as possible were revascularized using an infrarenal graft origin. Two patients died postoperatively from acute myocardial infarction. There were two graft failures in this group. At the present time, 19 of the 21 surviving patients are asymptomatic or greatly improved.