Aortofemoral bypass grafting: Microvel.

One hundred seventy-five patients underwent elective aortofemoral bypass during the years from 1976 to 1979. One hundred eighteen of these patients received a knitted double velour prosthesis (Microvel) and the remainder received standard knitted Dacron. All patients had been followed for a minimum of 12 months. Early graft thrombosis occurred in three limbs, and these were restored by reoperation for 100 per cent patency at discharge from the hospital. The operative mortality was three patients (1.7%). Complications included myocardial infarction (three/one death), renal failure (one/one death), respiratory failure (one/one death), cerebrovascular accident (four), and superficial wound infection (five). Late complications were infrequent, but included seven graft limb occlusions in six patients (3.4%), and one graft infection, one ureteral obstruction, and one false aneurysm. Among the 256 symptomatic extremities, claudication was completely relieved in 199 (78%) and substantially improved in an additional 48 (18.5%). Hemodynamic assessment with arm/ankle or arm/high thigh indices improved in parallel with symptomatic relief. Thus, only nine (3.5%) symptomatic extremities failed to improve with the proximal reconstruction, requiring distal reconstruction or amputation. The authors remain advocates of aortofemoral grafting with end-to-end proximal anastomosis and hooding of the distal anastomosis over the profunda origin for most aortoiliac occlusive diseases. Our recent experience with double velour graft and this technique have been very satisfactory.