Long-term Patency of Open Revascularization for Visceral Artery Pathologies.

Objective: Aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term patency of bypass grafts used to treat occlusive and aneurysmal disease of the visceral arteries.Methods: A retrospective analysis of our vascular surgery database identified 30 patients (11 men, mean age 59 +/- 14 years) who underwent 32 operations for visceral artery pathology between January 1995 and December 2009. Acute mesenteric ischemia (aMI) was present in 10, chronic mesenteric ischemia (cMI) in 14 and visceral artery aneurysm (VAn) in 7 cases. The primary endpoint of this study was vessel patency, secondary endpoints were survival and freedom from reintervention.Results: A total of 46 vessels were revascularized (26 bypass grafts) and additional revascularization procedures (thromboembolectomy, patch plasty, transposition) were performed in 21 cases. In the perioperative period, 6 deaths (5 aMI, 1 cMI) occurred, resulting in a mortality rate of 50% for aMI and 7% for cMI. At long-term follow-up (55 months), 22 patients (100% follow-up) were interviewed and 21 were scheduled for clinical and imaging examinations. Four vessel (3 grafts) occlusions were found in these patients.Conclusion: We were able to show that bypass grafting for a visceral artery pathology, although associated with an increased perioperative mortality, is a successful and durable procedure.