Carotid-subclavian bypass grafts for subclavian artery disease

Extrathoracic management of aortic arch syndrome

The English literature on extrathoracic procedures for aortic arch syndrome spanning the 19-year period 1962-1980 has been reviewed. Fifty publications reporting on 787 operations were selected for analysis. The overall results were excellent in terms of safety and long term symptomatic relief. Unilateral carotid-based operations appear preferable to longer crossover bypasses in the majority of patients. It is suggested that transthoracic reconstruction remain the approach of choice for innominate artery disease and multiple bilateral arch branch occlusions in good-risk patients.

Arterial surgery for arm ischemia. A survey of 136 patients

A series of 136 patients with upper extremity ischemia requiring operative correction is presented. Causes of the ischemia included trauma, atherosclerosis, embolism, iatrogenic causes, radiation injury, and cervical rib syndrome. Operations included primary repair, various bypass grafts and embolectomy. Illustrative case reports are used to emphasize important points. The subclavian, axillary and brachial arteries have been considered separately. In general, ischemia of the arm caused by a discrete lesion is amenable to surgical correction with an excellent change of success.

Surgical correction of subclavian steal syndrome

Eleven patients with subclavian steal syndrome underwent surgical correction without mortality. Ten patients were relieved from their symptoms. Two vessels reoccluded, two months and three years postoperatively, with reappearance of symptoms. One patient was hemiplegic after the operation. Associated lesions of other precerebral vessels were found in 7 patients, and surgical correction of two or three stenosed or occluded arteries was performed in 5 of them. Satisfactory and complete preoperative angiographic study of all precerebral vessels is therefore important. In 4 patients studied, the vertebral artery flow changed from a mean retrograde flow of 91 ml/min to a mean forward flow of 64 ml/min.

Extrathoracic repair of branch occlusions of the aortic arch

Thirty extrathoracic operations in twenty-six patients with occlusive disease involving the primary branches of the aortic arch were reviewed. Spanning a fourteen year experience, these operations included carotid-subclavian artery bypass, retrograde common carotid artery thrombectomy, carotid-carotid artery bypass, and femoral-axillary artery bypass. Dacron bypass grafts were used primarily for reconstruction, but saphenous vein bypass and endarterectomy were also employed. Indications for operation, the presence of concomitant cardiovascular disease, surgical technics, patient survival, and late patency of the reconstructions were reviewed. One patient died postoperatively (3.85 per cent). All Dacron grafts were patent on late follow-up examinations. Low mortality and excellent late functional results make extrathoracic repair the approach of choice in the management of occlusive disease of the branches of the aortic arch.