Transluminal angioplasty and distal arterial bypass

Of 13 patients who underwent distal arterial bypass following transluminal dilatation of iliac stenoses, six had femorofemoral bypass and seven femoropopliteal bypass following iliac artery transluminal angioplasty. There were three early deaths which were attributed to severe associated diseases. Follow-up to date in these patients ranges from 15 to 39 months with an average of 24 months. All patients have (or had at death) a patent graft and there were no failure caused by recurrent stenosis at the site of dilatation. The authors recommend the use of the combined procedures of transluminal iliac artery angioplasty and distal arterial bypass in selected high-risk patients for whom the only alternative is amputation. They are now cautiously extending the use of this combination of procedures to better-risk patients.