Experience With Milliknit Vascular Bifurcation Prostheses

Abstract

Knitted vascular bifurcation prostheses were implanted in 65 patients. In 33 cases the indication was abdominal aortic aneurysm; the remainder had arterial occlusive disease, and 94% of these patients were smokers. All patients were given prophylactic antibiotic therapy postoperatively. One patient with athero sclerotic occlusive disease and 7 with aortic aneurysm died within 30 days of surgery. Furthermore, 4 deaths occurred from 2 months to 3 years after surgery, all due to cardiovascular disease. There were no serious postoperative compli cations. At follow-up one limb of the graft had occluded in 2 patients, probably because of poor runoff. Therefore the value of peroperative blood flow mea surement, which gives an excellent assessment of peripheral runoff, is stressed.

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