Surveillance Versus Nonsurveillance for Femoro-Popliteal Bypass Grafts

Abstract

This is a study of 97 patients who underwent 106 femoropopliteal bypass grafts (9 bilateral bypasses) for short-distance claudication and critical ischemia. Patients were divided into 2 groups. The first group (n=64) was followed up by use of duplex scans. The second group (n=42) was followed up in clinic without duplex surveillance. Twenty-three patients from the surveillance group developed stenoses of the grafts. Of these, 14 underwent successful angioplasty. A total of 43 grafts became blocked. Graft occlusion was significantly more common in the nonsurveillance group (n=29) as compared to the surveillance group (n=14) after both 1 and 3 years of observation (p=0.001). Patients with critical ischemia showed a higher rate of graft occlusion than the claudicants (p=0.0075). Sixteen patients in the nonsurveillance group underwent above/below-knee amputation compared to 1 in the surveillance group. There was no significant difference in the mortality rate in the 2 groups. Graft surveillance helped to improve patency of grafts by identifying the correctable lesions.

Development of a Telemetric System for Postoperative Follow‐up of Vascular Surgery Procedures: In Vitro Model

“…However, because it is an exploring‐dependent test, it has several limitations, as is the case of calcified arteries or deep grafts. Despite the high sensitivity and specificity of the echo Doppler in the follow‐up of the infrainguinal vein grafts, there is conflicting information regarding the benefit in terms of cost‐effectiveness and salvation of the extremity . In addition, tracking through echo Doppler has not shown to increase the permeability of the prosthetic grafts nor of the endovascular techniques, and therefore, on the basis of the results obtained in this study and the demonstrated efficiency of the new wireless methods of clinical assistance, the establishment of a new surveillance protocol for the procedures in vascular surgery based on WSN technology could be of interest in the future.…”

Desarrollo de un sistema de telemetría para el seguimiento postoperatorio de procedimientos en cirugía vascular: modelo in vitro

“…Por ello, no existe actualmente unanimidad en la aplicación de un programa de seguimiento estricto con eco-doppler de estos pacientes (43,66,(161)(162)(163)(164)(165) .…”

AIUM Practice Guideline for the Performance of Peripheral Arterial Ultrasound Examinations Using Color and Spectral Doppler Imaging

“…Monitoring of sites of previous surgical interventions, including sites of previous bypass surgery with either synthetic or autologous vein grafts. [11][12][13][14] 3. Monitoring of sites of various percutaneous interventions, including angioplasty, thrombolysis/ thrombectomy, atherectomy, and stent placements.…”