Thoracic aorta-to-femoral artery by-pass. For the treatment of complete obstruction of the abdominal aorta at the level of the renal arteries.

Complete obstruction of the abdominal aorta at the renal artery level is often a difficult surgical problem in case of long standing thrombosis, short suprarenal aortic space, and extensive periarterial inflammatory reaction. Six patients in whom revascularization of the lower extremities was performed through a prosthetic by-pass from the thoracic aorta to the femoral arteries, were reported here. One patient underwent also a left nephrectomy for renal hypertension, chronic renal artery obstruction, shrunken kidney. Both the short and long term results have been satisfactory in all cases.