Examination of Difference in the Proximal Anastomotic Site for Crus, Ankle Bypass: Common Femoral Artery vs Below the Knee Popliteal Artery

Abstract

We evaluated the outcomes of bypass surgery for revascularization in cases of critical limb ischemia with the distal anastomotic site at or below the ankle; we focused on the differences in outcomes between 2 groups having different proximal anastomotic sites. Out of 270 cases diagnosed with critical limb ischemia from January 2003 to October 2009, bypass surgeries with the distal anastomotic site at or below the ankle were performed on the limbs of 69 patients (75 limbs). These cases were classified on the basis of the proximal anastomotic sites: group F (n = 50) where the common femoral artery was the proximal anastomotic site and group P (n = 25) where the below-knee popliteal artery was the site. The 5-year cumulative primary/secondary patency rates were 69.3%/81.8% for group F and 68.7%/84.9% for group P. The 5-year cumulative limb salvage rate was 97.9% in group F and 80.3% in group P. Among the cases reviewed, results were comparable between cases with the proximal anastomotic site at the below-knee popliteal artery and those with the site at the common femoral artery.