Tag Archives: PAD

General Surgery, Print Release, Vascular Surgery

PUBLISHED: Femoral Artery Cut-Down and Proximal Anastomosis Procedure (Cadaver)

Femoral Artery Cut-Down and Proximal Anastomosis Procedure (Cadaver)
Adrian Estrada1; Adam Tanious, MD2; Samuel Schwartz, MD2
1Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
2Massachusetts General Hospital

Femoral-to-popliteal/distal bypass surgery is a procedure used to treat femoral artery disease. It is performed to bypass the narrowed or blocked portion of the main artery of the leg, redirecting blood through either a transplanted healthy blood vessel or through a man-made graft material. This vessel or graft is sewn above and below the diseased artery such that blood flows through the new vessel or graft. The bypass material used can be either the great saphenous vein from the same leg or a synthetic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or Dacron graft.

This procedure is recommended for patients with peripheral vascular disease for whom medical management has not improved symptoms, for those with leg pain at rest that interferes with quality of life and ability to work, for non-healing wounds, and for infections or gangrene of the leg where there is a danger of loss of limb caused by decreased blood flow. This article demonstrates how to perform femoral artery cut-down and proximal anastomosis procedure in a cadaver. This procedure is commonly used when performing a femoral-popliteal below the knee bypass to restore blood flow to areas affected by arterial blockages or injuries․

Print Release, Vascular Surgery

PUBLISHED: Femoral Endarterectomy for Severe Peripheral Arterial Disease

Femoral Endarterectomy for Severe Peripheral Arterial Disease
Katherine L. Morrow, MD; Anahita Dua, MD, MS, MBA, FACS
Massachusetts General Hospital

This case describes an 85-year-old gentleman with significant peripheral arterial disease and lifestyle-limiting claudication who had previously undergone an unsuccessful attempt at endovascular treatment of his significant right common femoral artery stenosis.

A right common femoral endarterectomy was performed to remove this patient’s significant plaque burden. Postoperatively, the patient noted significant improvement in his right lower extremity claudication, and his postoperative pulse volume recordings showed improved arterial inflow.