Tibial and peroneal bypass in severe occlusive disease of the lower extremities.

Symptomatic arteriosclerotic occlusive disease involving the femoral and proximal popliteal arteries is currently best treated by reversed autogenous saphenous vein bypass graft. Severe occlusive disease frequently includes the popliteal and/or origin of the trifurcation vessels with reconstitution of one or more of the vessels in the lower leg. We have used distal bypass 97 times in 90 patients during the past decade. There was only one postoperative death in the series in spite of the advanced age and concurrent disease in the majority of the patients. Our indications for operation continue to be relief of pain or salvage of an extremity. We rely on high quality preoperative angiograms for selection of vessels to receive the bypass. The posterior tibial artery was used in 63 of the cases, while the anterior tibial and peroneal were used in 24 and 10 cases, respectively. There were 11 immediate inhospital failures in this series of 97 cases requiring amputation in five. Three additional patients had amputations during the ensuing several months. Of the 85 grafts functioning at the time of discharge from the hospital, 16 or (18.8%) failed during the first years. Grafts that remained patent for one year have a high incidence of long term patency which is in keeping with other reported series.