THE AORTOFEMORAL GRAFT - DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF HEALING COMPLICATIONS BY ULTRASONOGRAPHY

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 89  (1) , 94-101
Abstract
Although accepted as an accurate method for determining the size of abdominal aortic aneurysms, the value of gray-scale ultrasound in other aspects of peripheral vascular disease is less well defined. Patients (87) with aortofemoral grafts were studied using B-scan and real-time scanners to determine the efficacy of these techniques in the detection of healing complications. Sonography delineated the proximal anastomosis in 84%, the iliac graft limbs in 88%-91%, and the distal anastomosis in all but 1 instance. Abnormalities (66), most clinically unsuspected, were identified. Of these, anastomotic femoral and aortic false aneurysms were the most common. Ultrasound also identified perigraft fluid collections secondary to hematoma, seroma and infection that were not detected by angiography. Ultrasound is relatively inexpensive, atraumatic and without radiation hazard. It is recommended as the initial method for evaluating suspected healing complications of arterial grafting and as a means of long-term follow-up of patients with aortofemoral grafts.