ISOLATED ENDARTERECTOMY AND PATCH ANGIOPLASTY FOR COMMON FEMORAL-ARTERY OCCLUSIVE LESIONS

Eleven patients underwent isolated common femoral artery endarterectomy and vein patch angioplasty over a five-year period. All patients had claudication. In addition 7 had rest pain and 2 had ischemic ulcerations. Mean age was 67.8 +/- 11.2 years. The mean preoperative ankle/arm (a/a) index was 0.48 +/-0.14. The operations were performed under local or regional anesthesia. There was no perioperative mortality or morbidity. The mean postoperative a/a index increased to 0.76 +/-0.19 at 30.75 months. One reconstruction thrombosed at sixteen months. Two patients died of unrelated causes with patent grafts at six months. The increase in a/a index was the same irrespective of whether the presenting symptoms were claudication alone (0.29), rest pain (0.21), or ischemic ulceration (0.35). This study indicates that femoral endarterectomy and patch angioplasty is a safe and durable procedure for focal common femoral artery stenosis or occlusion.