Axillopopliteal bypass grafting: indications, late results, and determinants of long-term patency

In the last 12 years we have performed 55 axillopopliteal bypass graftings with 6 mm polytetrafluoroethylene grafts for limb salvage in 50 patients who were at high risk for limb loss. Indications for this procedure were (1) severe atherosclerotic disease of the common, superficial, and deep femoral arteries (33 cases); (2) failed aortofemoral bypass grafting with sufficient fibrosis or disease progression in the deep femoral artery (five cases); (3) insufficient hemodynamic and clinical improvement after axillofemoral bypass grafting (10 cases); and (4) sepsis in the groin from a previously infected graft (seven cases). The 30-day operative mortality rate was 8%, and the 5-year cumulative patient survival rate was 40%. Overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative primary graft patency rates were 58%, 45%, and 40%, respectively. Comparable limb salvage rates were 83%, 68%, and 58%. Repeat operations increased 5-year patency rates from 40% to 59% (p less than 0.05). Three-year patency rate for grafts placed in the presence of poor angiographic runoff in one vessel was 62% and for good angiographic runoff (two to three vessels) it was 57% (NS). Grafts to the above-knee popliteal artery had a patency rate of 67% at 3 years, whereas for grafts that crossed the knee joint it was 51% (NS). Three-year patency rate for 24 straight axillopopliteal grafts was 42%, and for 31 sequential axillofemoral-popliteal grafts it was 74% (p less than 0.05). These results show that axillopopliteal bypass grafting is justified when other standard operations are not possible in patients who are in imminent danger of limb loss, and that every possible effort should be made to use the common or deep femoral artery as part of a sequential axillofemoral-popliteal procedure.