Patency of Superficial Femoral Vein Employed as a Crossover Femoral Artery Bypass Conduit

This study assesses the patency of superficial femoral vein used as a crossover femoral artery bypass conduit in patients presenting either with localized groin sepsis, generalized sepsis or in patients with occuded or heavily diseased superficial femoral aretery outflow. Twenty patients were followed prospectively with femoral crossover grafts constructed of superficial femoral vein. Twelve patients presented with sepsis and 8 with chronic ischemia from iliac artery occlusion and severly diseased superficial femoral artery outflow. Graft patency was assessed with regular duplex ultrasound examination. There was one perioperative death. Six patients died during the fellow-up period. Mean folow-up time was 24.3 months. No graft occluded or required revision. There was no limbs loss, graft infection, or graft hemorrhage. Superficial femoral vein offers an effective femoral crossover bypass graft in patients with either localized/generalized sepsis or disadvantage outflow tracts.