Blood Flow in Femoropopliteal Bypass Vein Grafts

BLOOD FLOW through femoropopliteal bypass vein grafts has been measured in a group of patients in an attempt to clarify the interrelationships of flow, angiographic findings, and clinical observations. It was hoped that quantitative blood flow data might provide a reliable prognostic indication for long-range patency. However, we have found that the prognosis must be based on an assessment of multiple factors rather than on any single test or observation. Clinical Material Blood flow was measured in 29 femoropopliteal autogenous vein bypass grafts in 26 patients undergoing operation for occlusive disease in the lower extremities ("legs") (Table 1). The indication for operation was claudication in 15 instances, rest pain in three, gangrene in nine, and diffuse aneurysmal change in two. The proximal anastomosis was in the popliteal artery proximal to the joint space in 19 legs and distal to the joint space in ten. Reversed vein grafts were used in