Axillary-Femoral Bypass Graft Patency Without Aorto-femoral Pressure Differential

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Abstract
Differential aorto-femoral pressure gradient is not required to assure axillary-femoral bypass graft patency for a brief period of time. One-hundred twenty-three days elapsed from axillary-femoral graft construction to elective removal of the functioning conduit in an individual without aorto-femoral pressure differential. During this time, reversible "disuse atrophy" of the ipsilateral ileo-femoral arterial system occurred. It is suggested that phasic differences in pulse wave propagation between the aorto-iliac-femoral and axillary-femoral circuits maintained graft patency and accompanying decreased flow volume in the ileo-femoral arterial circuit resulted in "disuse atrophy."