Background: To evaluate retrospectively the long-term results of prosthetic vascular bypass grafts used for treatment aneurysms or atherosclerotic occlusive disease regarding the replacement localization and graft type.

Methods: A total of 316 patients, who had undergone Dacron or Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) bypass grafting from 1990 to 2000 were enrolled in the study. Of those, 8 (2.5%) were female, 308 patients (97.5%) were male and mean age was 61 ± 9.2 years (range 28 to 72 years). One hundred and thirty-four prosthetic grafts (42.5%) were Dacron and 182 (57.5%) were PTFE. The bypass procedure was performed because of aneurysms in 105 patients (33.2%) and atherosclerotic occlusive disease in 211 patients (66.7%). The occlusion and infection rates (1 month after postoperatively) were investigated with regard to the graft type and replacement localization.

Results: All of the patients were followed up for an average of 6 ± 3.1 years (range 2 to 12 years). Three patients (0.9%) died perioperatively. Among the patients who underwent Dacron grafting 18 (13.4%) had graft occlusion, and 11 (8.2%) had graft infection. Whereas, 12 (6.6%) of the patients who underwent PTFE grafting had graft occlusion and 11 (6%) had graft infection. In Dacron group, occlusion and reoperation rate was 18 (13.4%) and graft infection rate was 11 (8.2%), and in PTFE group, the graft occlusion rate was 12 (6.5%) and infection rate was 11 (6%). The patients who had femoro-popliteal and extra-anatomic (femoro-femoral) bypass Dacron grafting had occlusions, 4 (80%) and 2 (66%) respectively (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Long-term occlusion and graft infection rate are less encountered in the patients who had PTFE bypass grafting compared to the ones who had Dacron grafting. Especially, secondary occlusion rate are significantly less seen in the femoro-popliteal and extra-anatomic femoro-femoral position.

Keywords : Prosthetic vascular grafts, Dacron, PTFE