Factors Affecting Symptomatic vs Asymptomatic Vein Graft Stenoses in Lower Extremity Bypass Grafts

Abstract

Objective: To determine differences in patients undergoing lower extremity vein graft revisions presenting with and without recurrence of preoperative symptoms.Design: Retrospective case-control study of a prospectively maintained database. Setting: University and veterans' administration hospitalsPatients: Two hundred nineteen lower extremity vein graft revisions were performed in 161 patients from January 1995 to January 2007. Patients were categorized as asymptomatic or symptomatic (recurrence of initial symptoms) at the time of revision. Main Outcome Measures: Univariate analysis was performed to assess differences in patient demographics, details of initial operation, site of recurrent lesion, and follow-up surveillance data between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Independent predictors of symptomatic recurrence were identified with multivariate logistic regression. Primary assisted patency was compared between revisions performed for symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions.