Both the literature and this experience support host vessel degeneration as the primary etiologic factor in femoral anastomotic aneurysms. Associated factors that produce increased "intra-anastomotic tension," such as hypertension, superficial femoral artery occlusion, and flow turbulence, appear to contribute to vessel deterioration. Other factors, much less prevalent in present-day vascular surgery, such as rigid grafts, deficient suture material, inappropriate angle of incidence, and excessive tension on the graft can contribute to anstomotic disruption. Certain guidelines may be helpful in the management of femoral pseudoaneurysm. 1) Redo the entire anstomosis, rather than simply resuturing a disrupted edge. 2) Use minimal dissection to avoid injury to outflow vessels and to limit disruption of supportive tissue. 3) Use braided synthetic suture material. 4) Avoid tension by interposing a segment of graft between the proximal graft limb and the host vessel. 5) Use knitted Dacron for the interposed segment so the new anastomosis to the host vessel will be with softer, more pliable fabric. 6) Assure smooth adequate outflow by end-to-end anastomosis with a patch angioplasty or distal bypass. These guidelines should lead to a safe, reliable solution to one of the vexing complications of aortofemoral bypass procedure.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.