The effect of antiaggregational therapy on the long-term patency of the femoropopliteal/crural bypass

Abstract

Introduction. Antiaggregational therapy can reduce thrombosis development following the arterial reconstruction surgery. In most cases acetylsalicylic acid and ticlopidine are used as antiaggregational agents. Objective. The aim of this research was to examine the influence of different antiaggregational agents on a long-term femoropopliteal/crural bypass patency. Methods. The study involved 142 patients who underwent femoropopliteal/crural bypass reconstructions at the Cardiovascular Disease Institute of the Clinical Centre of Serbia. Most patient were operated on in the period from December 2007 to December 2009; however, the study also included a certain number of patients who had undergone surgery 1-7 years earlier, and who were postsurgically under a regular check-up and examination. Depending on the administered antiaggregational agents, three groups of the patients were formed: 1) patients on 100 mg/daily acetylsalicylic acid; 2) patients on 2C250 mg/ daily ticlopidine; and 3) patients on 100 mg/daily acetylsalicylic acid combined with 2C250 mg/daily ticlopidine. Results. Among the formed groups in our study, there was no statistically significant difference in the femoropopliteal/crural bypass long-term patency, and the obtained patency values for each group were in accordance to the data from the literature. Conclusion. The first-choice antiaggregative agent after surgical infrainguinal arterial reconstruction procedures was found to be acetylsalicylic acid as compared to ticlopidin for at least two reasons: low cost and absence of neuthropenia as a side-effect.