Late rupture of knitted Dacron double velour arterial prostheses. Report on four cases.

Late fibre breakage with longitudinal tears occurred in 4 patients of a series of some 300 implanted knitted Dacron double velour arterial prostheses. The four patients all received their grafts for occlusive aortoiliac disease in the year 1978, and the rupture was found 4 to 6 years later. Three of the failures occurred in axillo-bifemoral bypass grafts, whereas the fourth patient had a bifurcated aortic prosthesis. Dilatation was significant in the latter graft only. Structural weakness might appear during production, during later handling, or possibly as a result of interference from infected material or host factors. The cause of graft failures in the present series could not be ascertained. Whatever type of knitted Dacron used, a 2-3% incidence of graft deterioration might be expected. Therefore regular, life-long follow-up of patients with Dacron arterial prostheses seems warranted.