Intraoperative Balloon Dilation as an Adjunct to Bypass Surgery

Abstract

Intraoperative balloon dilation (with or without laser assistance) was performed on 30 lesions in 20 patients in whom proposed bypasses distal to the tibioperoneal trunk were revised to more proximal bypasses (above- or below-knee femoropopliteal) following successful dilation. Only 3 patients overall required subsequent amputation—at one month, nine months, and one year postoperatively, respectively. There were 3 deaths from unrelated causes; all had patent grafts at time of death. Two patients were lost to follow-up. This experience reinforces the beneficial adjunctive role of intraoperative balloon dilation in patients who require long bypasses, allowing less extensive reconstructive procedures to be performed and consequently yielding better long-term results than surgery alone.