Results of polytetrafluoroethylene grafts in the femoropopliteal regions: Two year evaluation of 146 bypass procedures

One hundred twenty patients, who underwent femoropopliteal bypass procedures using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts, are reviewed. There were 70 male and 50 female patients ranging in age from 42 to 84 years, the mean age being 64.27 years. A total of 140 procedures were performed for tissue loss or impending tissue loss; only 26 procedures had been done for limiting claudication. Review of the results showed a cumulative patency of 83.86%, at two years. The results for good run off showed a patency of 99.07% at two years, while for the cases with poor run off, the patency was 47.0%. There were no early mortalities. Two patients, however, died during the follow-up period. Of the 17 amputations required, eight were defined as major and nine as minor amputations. The series is compared with a series of saphenous vein bypasses and also one using Dacron® prosthesis.