"Early Failures" in Arterial Reconstruction

Abstract

Arterial reconstructive procedures may fail in the early postoperative period because of thrombosis. This complication is reported to occur in 4% to 29% of patients who undergo reconstruction of their aortoiliac or femoral arteries.^1,2,4-6A careful evaluation of these reports and personal observation indicate that the thrombosis usually occurs within a few hours following the operation. There are scattered reports suggesting that the immediate exploration of the arterial system of these patients is indicated.^2,6This report records the successful operative management of 11 of 12 patients who had failure of their arterial reconstructive procedures within 24 hours of operation. <h3>Material</h3> All of the 12 patients presented had initially successful arterial reconstructive procedures as evidenced by improved distal arterial pulsations. The reason for reoperation on all of the patients was a decrease in amplitude of distal pulses within a few hours after operation. Nine of the 12 patients were