Results of Femoro-Femoral Vein Bypass Grafting with Temporary Arteriovenous Fistula for Femoro-Iliac Venous Thrombosis: Differences between Operations in the Acute and Chronic Phases

Abstract

Femoro-femoral vein bypass operation using a synthetic vascular graft with simultaneous construction of a temporary arteriovenous fistula (A-V f.) was performed in eight patients with acute femoro-iliac venous thrombosis after successful femoral thrombectomy but unsuccessful iliac thrombectomy; this operation was also performed in one patient with subacute thrombosis of the iliac vein and three patients with femoro-iliac post-phlebitic syndrome. Of the first nine patients who underwent the operation in the acute or subacute phase of the disease, the synthetic vascular grafts remained patent after closure of the A-V f. in six (66.7%), and no recurrence of symptoms was observed in any of the nine, including those in whom the graft was occluded. However, the graft remained patent in only one (33.3%) of the three patients who underwent the operation in the chronic phase and no improvement in symptoms was observed in the patients with occluded grafts. These differences in the results of bypass grafting are considered to be due to differences in the development of pelvic venous collaterals. The indications for this operation should be evaluated after close examination of the state of collateral vasculature.