Surgical Repair of Popliteal Artery Aneurysm Using Basilic Vein Graft

The aneurysmectomy with posterior approach may be the most radical surgery to treat popliteal artery aneurysm（PAA）．However, major problems of this operation are choice and harvest of the autologous conduit in the prone position. A 73-year-old man presented to the orthopedic clinic with a posterior knee pain, numbness of the calf and intermittent claudication of the left leg. He was referred to our department due to the mass of the popliteal fossa and the reduction in ankle / brachial pressure index（0.62）．Contrast-enhanced CT and MRI revealed a thrombosed PAA with a diameter of 4cm. To improve of ischemic and nerve compression symptoms, we performed aneurysmectomy with posterior approach and arterial reconstruction using the basilic vein. Preoperatively, we confirmed that the diameter and length of the left basilic vein fitted the target artery using sonography and it was able be harvested in a prone position. We reported a case of PAA who underwent aneurysmectomy and arterial reconstruction using the basilic vein graft without changing position from prone to supine during operation.