Long-term results of reconstructive surgery for aorto-iliac arterial occlusive lesions.

We report a review of 215 reconstructions for aorto-iliac arterial occlusive lesions, involving 156 patients. At 13 years, the cumulative patency rate of 158 aorto-femoral or aorto-iliac dacron synthetic bypass prostheses was 71.6 per cent as compared to 52.7 per cent at 5 years for 22 blunt endarterectomies and 47.4 per cent at 6 years for 35 axillo-femoral bypass prostheses. Of the 158 synthetic bypass prostheses, the cumulative patency rate at 13 years was 85.1 per cent in cases with no occlusive involvement of the peripheral arteries, significantly higher (p less than 0.03) than the 39.3 per cent patency rate at 7 years in cases in which associated femoro-popliteal occlusive lesions were not treated. At 12 years, the patency rate was 53.2 per cent in cases in which associated femoro-popliteal occlusive lesions were treated during the same reconstructive intervention, i.e. markedly higher (p less than 0.08) than in patients in whom the degree of outflow in the distal vessels was poor. Our findings indicated that, in order to achieve a satisfactory long-term patency rate, it is important to treat associated occulusive lesions in the femoro-popliteal arteries.