[Long occlusion of the superficial femoral artery: revascularization by compliant prosthesis]. / Occlusion longue de l'artère fémorale superficielle: revascularisation par prothèse compliante.

We believe that the use of prosthetic grafts is justified in the treatment of long occlusions of the superficial femoral artery. However the surgery should only be done in cases where patients are suffering from severe claudication and in cases of critical ischemia of the lower limbs. We report herein the mid-term results of an European multicentric prospective study of a new prosthesis which is compliant, ultraporous and made of polycarbonate. We found a patency similar to that obtained with PTFE grafts as reported in the literature. In these indications, the choice of prosthetic grafts allows for a better management of atherosclerosis arterial disease. Thus autologous saphenous veins are still available to treat coronary artery disease or femoro tibial occlusion which remain a frequent evolution in that type of patient.