Long-term outcome of femoral above-knee popliteal artery bypass using autologous saphenous vein versus expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts.

Despite a recent flurry of publications on preferred techniques for femoral above-knee popliteal artery bypass, controversy persists over the use of autologous saphenous vein and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts. The purpose of this study was to compare our long-term results using these two bypass materials. In a series of 474 infrainguinal bypasses performed between January 1993 and December 1998, we performed a total of 75 femoral above-knee popliteal artery bypass using an autologous saphenous vein graft in 48 cases (64%) and an ePTFE graft in 27 cases (36%). Prosthetic grafts were used by choice in 17 cases and by necessity due to the absence of useable vein in 10 cases. There were 55 men and 18 women with a mean age of 70 years. The indication for bypass was lower extremity arterial occlusive disease at stage II in 17 cases (22.7%), stage III in 9 cases (12%), and stage IV in 36 cases (48%); subacute ischemia in 8 cases (10.7%); and femoropopliteal aneurysm in 5 cases (6.7%). Preoperative arteriography demonstrated three patent leg arteries in 15.5% of cases, two patent leg arteries in 43.5%, and one patent leg artery in 41%. There was no significance difference between the vein graft and ePTFE graft groups with regard to indications and arteriographic findings. No patient died during the immediate postoperative period. The mean duration of follow-up was 25.5 months (range, 3 to 108 months). The primary patency rate at 4 years was 82.2 +/- 8% for venous bypass vs. 80.6 +/- 11.8% for ePTFE bypass (p = 0.42). The secondary patency rate at 4 years was 84.7 +/- 7.4% for vein bypasses and 79.5 +/- 12% for ePTFE bypasses (p = 0.26). In our experience, there was no statistically significant difference in long-term outcome of femoral above-knee popliteal artery bypass using autologous vein grafts or prosthetic ePTFE grafts.