Objective: Our results of extraanatomic bypass surgery in the last 5 years should be analysed in a retrospective study.
Patients and methods: 66 extraanatomic reconstructions were performed in 65 patients (52 male, 13 female). Femoro-femoral bypasses (78.8 %) were mainly included in this study, followed by axillo-femoral (bifemoral) and obturator bypasses. The procedures could be divided in 45 (68.2 %) primary and 21 (31.8 %) recurrent operations. 57.6 % of the patients revealed a critical lower limb ischemia.
Results: The bypass patency rates were 97 % after one year and 81.1 % after 3 years. 24.2 % of the patients showed immediate postoperative complications, 12.1 % of them major complications (surgical and nonsurgical). No patient died postoperatively or in the first year after operation. The 3-year mortality rate ranged to 10.8 %. Major amputations had to be carried out in 4 patients (6.1 %) during the first year and in one patient later on, so that the total amputation rate amounted to 7.6 %.
Conclusions: Our results prove extraanatomic reconstructions to be a valuable surgical tool in lower limb ischemia with good long-term success. Extraanatomic bypasses are technically simple procedures in the majority of cases and take good care of the patient with low morbidity and mortality.