Surgical treatment of lower limb ischemia due to combination of thromboangiitis obliterans and arteriosclerosis obliterans

Abstract

Objective To evaluate surgical treatment of lower limb ischemia due to combination of thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) and arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO). Methods Clinical data of six patients suffering from lower limb ischemia due to TAO and ASO were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had a history of smoking, and complained of rest pain. Three patients had foot ulcer and one had toe gangrene. Two patients reeeived aortie artery endartereetomy combined with FIFE graft bypass to deep femoral artery and below knee popliteal artery plus saphenous vein graft bypass to tibial artery. One patient received aortic thrombectomy and endarterectomy plus aortofemoral and femoropopliteal PTFE graft bypass. One patient with a history of left graft thrombosis after aorto-bifemoral arterial bypass using PTFE graft before admission underwent left PTFE graft thrombectomy via left groin and left deep femoral artery endarterectomy followed by femoropopliteal arterial bypass. One patient received left common iliac artery endarterectomy plus left profound femoral PTFE graft-left anterior tibial arterial bypass using in situ great saphenous vein graft. One patient received right to left femorofemoral arterial bypass using PTFE graft to left posterior tibial artety bypass using reversed great saphenous vein graft. Results One patient receiving aortoiliac thrombectomy and endarterectomy with aortofemoropopliteotibial arterial bypass suffered from graft thrombosis several hours after operation and emergency thrombectomy with distal posterior tibial arteriovenous fistulization was performed. The rest pain disappeared in 5 patients and partially relieved in one. All the grafts were patent on discharge. The foot ulcer reduced in 3 patients. All the 6 patients were followed up with a mean of 6. 5 months. 3 foot ulcers healed. One patient eventually received below knee amputation due to foot gangrene three months later. Conclusion Although it is difficult to treat combined limb ischemia of TAO and ASO, satisfactory results could be achieved when proper surgical procedure is adopted. Key words: Thromboangiitis obliterans; Arteriosclerosis obliterans; Ischemia; lower extremity; Bypass, arterial