RESUMO
A 81-year old woman had hypertensive heart failure. She had a history of intermittent claudication for 5 years. Her ankle brachial pressure index (ABI) was 0.53 on the right and 0.58 on the left side. Coarctation of the descending aorta with severe calcification was found by a whole body CT. After medical therapy for heart failure, axillo-bifemoral artery bypass using an 8 mm ringed expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) graft was performed. Postoperatively, ABI improved to 0.83 on the right and 0.87 on the left side. The patient is doing well without any signs of heart failure or intermittent claudication. Although it is a palliative operation, axillo-bifemoral artery bypass is an effective and less-invasive procedure and appropriate for elderly patients.