From May 1964 to June 1983, 36 carotid-subclavian bypasses were done in 36 patients who had symptomatic lesions at the origin of the common carotid and/or subclavian arteries at the Center for Health Sciences of the University of California, Los Angeles. Ages ranged from 28 to 82 years (mean, 58 years). Eighteen bypasses were done with prosthetic grafts, 13 done with autogenous vein, and five were transpositions with primary anastomosis of the subclavian and carotid arteries. Follow-up was available on all patients and ranged from 9 to 156 months (mean, 51.5 months). The graft patency rate at 5 years determined by actuarial methods and documented by clinical examination, noninvasive evaluation, and/or arteriography was 94.1% for prosthetic grafts and 58.3% for vein grafts (p less than 0.01). The 5-year cerebrovascular accident (CVA) rate for patients with carotid-subclavian bypass done with prosthetic grafts was 6% in contrast to 39% for those with vein grafts (p less than 0.0545). All reconstructions done by transposition and primary anastomosis remain patent and there have been no late CVAs. We conclude that prosthetic grafts are the arterial substitute of choice in carotid-subclavian bypass. Transposition and primary anastomosis between the carotid and subclavian artery, when technically feasible, may be preferable to the use of free grafts in carotid-subclavian reconstruction.

The objective of this review is to analyze the long-term results of femoropopliteal bypass done preferentially with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts in patients who presumably had saphenous vein available. The results are analyzed according to preoperative variables in an attempt to determine those instances in which PTFE grafts may be preferred for the first reconstruction and to identify those patients who benefited from vein preservation. From 1979 to 1985, 146 femoropopliteal bypass operations were performed in 120 patients with 6 mm PTFE grafts used preferentially. The results with follow-up at 5 years are analyzed by actuarial methods. The patency rate at hospital discharge was 100%. The overall primary patency rate at 5 years was 57%. Reconstructions above the knee (101) and below the knee (45) had significantly different 5-year patency rates (63% vs 44%, p less than 0.03). Sixty-two reconstructions done to alleviate disabling claudication had a 5-year primary patency rate of 69% and no amputations. Eighty-one reconstructions were done to treat critical ischemia with a 5-year patency rate of 49% and a 5-year foot salvage rate of 73%. When secondary operations were required to treat graft failures, the 4-year cumulative patency rate of the secondary reconstruction was 18% when performed with a prosthetic graft, in contrast to 70% when performed with the spared saphenous vein. We conclude that femoropopliteal reconstruction with PTFE grafts is a reasonable alternative for older patients with disabling claudication. Patients with critical ischemia will likely benefit from preservation of the vein with initial femoropopliteal reconstruction done with PTFE. Staged infrainguinal revascularization for foot salvage may improve present results. In this regard the sequence PTFE-then-vein carries a higher predicted patency rate than the sequence vein-then-PTFE.

The effect of steroids and immunosuppression on the development of intimal hyperplasia was studied in 24 New Zealand white rabbits. Staged bilateral arteriotomy and stripping of intima of the common carotid artery was performed by means of a 2F balloon catheter under 700 mm Hg of pressure. At 3 months, after the control side artery was harvested (N = 24), the rabbits were assigned to three groups of eight animals each: (1) dexamethasone 0.1 mg/kg, (2) cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) 1 mg/kg, or (3) azathioprine 1 mg/kg intramuscularly. The animals were treated on the day before the contralateral intimal stripping and then were treated six times a week for 8 weeks; the vessels were harvested at 3 months. Twelve-week patency rates were 62.5% in the control group, 83.3% in the dexamethasone group, 100% in the Cytoxan group, and only 33.3% in the azathioprine group. The ratio of the luminal area to the area enclosed by the internal elastic lamina was used as an index of intimal hyperplasia, with a higher ratio indicating less intimal thickening. This ratio of the patient vessels was 0.74 +/- 0.14 (N = 15) for the controls, 0.79 +/- 0.11 (N = 6) for the Cytoxan group, and 0.91 +/- 0.06 (N = 5, p less than 0.05) for the dexamethasone group, which is statistically significant by means of analysis of variance. Occluded vessels had evidence of organized thrombus without any intimal hyperplasia. The decrease in intimal hyperplasia seen in the steroid group suggests a potential role for steroids in small vessel revascularization, but further studies are required.

Neutrophils (polymorphonuclear neutrophils [PMNs]) have been implicated as mediators of reperfusion injury. Heparin, urokinase, and ancrod are agents used routinely to prevent and treat thrombosis, yet their effects on PMN function are unknown. Therefore human PMNs were obtained and incubated for 30 minutes with either saline solution or one of the following pharmacologic agents, each tested at three different concentrations: group 1, saline solution (control, n = 14); groups 2 through 4, heparin (5000 units/ml, n = 8; 2500 units/ml, n = 6; and 1250 units/ml, n = 6, respectively); groups 5 through 7, urokinase (50,000 units/ml, n = 8; 25,000 units/ml, n = 6; and 12,500 units/ml, n = 6, respectively), and groups 8 through 10, ancrod (70 units/ml, n = 8; 35 units/ml, n = 6; and 17.5 units/ml, n = 6). Superoxide anion production was measured by the reduction of cytochrome c in a spectrophotometric assay. Chemotaxis was evaluated by the number of PMNs migrating across a filter with a Neuro Probe chamber (Neuro Probe, Cabin John, Md.). Phagocytosis was determined by the ingestion of opsonized zymosan particles by PMNs. Serum obtained from each PMN donor was used both to opsonize the zymosan and as a chemoattractant in the chemotaxis assay. Statistical comparison was evaluated by analysis of variance, and post hoc comparisons for each agent with control were performed with the unpaired Student t test. No agent, at any dose, significantly changed superoxide anion production compared with control cells. All three agents significantly inhibited PMN chemotaxis (p < 0.01). In the control group the number of PMNs counted was 27.6 +/- 4.9.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Between August 1983 and December 1987, 23 patients received a 30-minute intraoperative, intraarterial infusion of streptokinase (seven patients) or urokinase (16 patients) because of residual thrombus or persistent ischemia or both after thromboembolectomy. Ages ranged from 21 to 77 years (mean, 58 years). In 15 patients intraoperative lytic therapy was part of the initial operation, whereas in eight patients intraoperative lytic therapy was performed during a secondary operation to treat thrombosis of a recently placed graft. Seven patients in the latter group had hypercoagulable conditions (five had heparin-induced thrombosis; one had protein C deficiency; one had polycythemia with thrombocytosis). Improvement after intraoperative lytic therapy was seen on angiography performed after infusion in 13 of 17 (76%) patients in whom angiography was performed both before and after intraoperative lytic therapy. Grafts in 12 of these patients remained patent without additional intervention, and in one graft thrombus formed again. In contrast, among four patients without angiographic evidence of improvement, thrombus formed again in four grafts (p less than 0.004). Intraoperative lytic therapy was considered successful in 74% of instances (17/23), including four of seven patients with hypercoagulable states. Three of six patients whose grafts failed had major amputations, whereas there were no amputations after successful infusions. Twelve patients were heparinized after intraoperative lytic therapy. Ten patients in this group were considered treatment successes, and two were considered treatment failures. Three of 11 patients not heparinized after intraoperative lytic therapy were considered treatment failures. Four hematomas occurred in the former group and none in the latter (p less than 0.03). No hematomas occurred in the heparin-induced thrombosis group in spite of anticoagulation with sodium warfarin (Coumadin). Only one hematoma occurred within 6 hours of intraoperative lytic therapy, and thus it was attributable to the infusion. We conclude that intraoperative lytic therapy is an effective adjunct to manage residual thrombus or persistent ischemia or both after lower extremity revascularization. Postinfusion angiography is of prognostic value. Heparinization after intraoperative lytic therapy seems beneficial but significantly increases the risk of bleeding complications.