Small bowel necrosis after aorto-iliac reconstruction.

Small bowel ischaemia causing necrosis is a rare complication after aorto-iliac reconstructive surgery. During a 14-year-period we have seen 6 cases out of 1343 reconstructions, making a frequency of 0.4 per cent. Diagnosis was difficult, causing a delay until re-exploration. Thrombocytopenia was a constant finding, and should raise suspicion. Pathogenesis was multifactorial. In two of our cases diagnosis was made at autopsy and in four at operation. Two patients survived extensive bowel resection but had a long stormy postoperative course.