Extended deep femoral angioplasty.

At present reconstructive arterial surgery for atherosclerotic disease below the level of the inguinal ligament is restricted to femoropopliteal bypass grafts. We have found a new operation, which we call extended deep femoral angioplasty, to be effective not only in some cases where bypass is possible but also in many cases where it is impossible because of a poor run-off, lack of a suitable vein, or even when a bypass has failed. In a consecutively treated group of 34 patients operative reconstruction was limited to the deep femoral artery and a success rate of 65% was achieved. Most gratifying was the saving of a leg in eight patients in whom bypass was impossible.