The seven-year´secondary patency of a fresh arterial allograft in the femorocrural position in a heart transplant recipient
2010
Abstract
Critical limb ischemia in patients with diabetes at the organ complication stage represents a considerable challenge in vascular medicine. In our patient with bilateral critical limb ischemia and previous coronary artery bypass graft followed by cardiac transplantation, only one great saphenous vein remained available.
That was used in its entirety to salvage one limb as a sequential femorocrural bypass. A similar surgical procedure with a fresh arterial allograft retrieved from a deceased donor was performed on the other extremity.
ABO compatibility as well as the chronic immunosuppressive therapy in a heart transplant recipient may have contributed to the favorable long-term clinical outcome of the allogeneic arterial reconstruction.