Umbilical vein grafts and PTFE grafts for femoro-popliteal bypass. Preliminary results.

This retrospective, multiple-center study includes 172 PTFE (Gore-Tex) and 35 umbilical vein grafts (Bio-graft) used for femoro-popliteal bypass grafting. The one-year patency rate was approximately 63% in both groups. Until further experience is accumulated, autogenous saphenous vein should probably be the first choice for femoro-popliteal bypass grafting. Prosthetic grafts should preferably be used when the saphenous vein is absent or insufficient.

Bilateral iliacus haematoma with femoral nerve palsy complicating anticoagulant therapy.

A patient is reported who sustained bilaterial iliacus haematoma with femoral nerve palsy during treatment with constant intravenous infustion of heparin for deep venous thrombosis. She was promptly treated with operative decompression and recovered completely from the palsy. Daily examinations of the blood revealed that the plasma heparin concentration, activated partial thromboplastin time, APTT, and thrombin time all were above the therapeutic range at the time when the bleeding started, and before the initial symptoms occurred. Early operative decompression is considered to be the ideal treatment in patients who develop this complication during anticoagulant therapy.