Surgical treatment of chronic occlusive disease of the enteric visceral branches of the abdominal aorta. Experience with 119 operations.

Whenever abdominal circulatory disorders are caused by obstruction of the abdominal aortic visceral branches, adequate blood flow may be restored only by surgical intervention. With the development of symptoms suggesting inadequate collateral circulation and disturbance of splanchnic blood supply, operation is indicated. The choice of operation depends on the nature and the cause of the disease and the type of occlusion. With intravascular obstruction, correction of blood flow may be achieved by a reconstructive procedure. In many patients with extravascular compression of the celiac artery, adequate flow is restored by simple external decompression. The present communication is based on experience with 119 operations, 102 reconstructive and 17 decompressive. Of the 102 reconstructive procedures, 94 were complex with one-stage revascularization of several arteries. Transaortic endarterectomy as described in our method of choice although with widespread lesions resection and replacement is preferred. A thoracolumbar approach is the most expedient incision for reconstruction. The results obtained provide evidence for the effectiveness of surgical treatment of chronic occlusive disease of the visceral branches of the abdominal aorta.