2016 Volume 25 Pages 288-291
Disruption of artificial vascular grafts is an uncommon complication. In the present report, we describe a case of disruption of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) graft in femoro-femoral bypass. A 63-year-old man experienced a blunt trauma in the suprapubic area following a traffic accident. He had undergone a femoro-femoral bypass 15 years previously with a ringed ePTFE graft due to obstruction of the right iliac artery. After the accident, he presented to the emergency department with a hematoma at the scrotum. Computed tomography indicated disruption of the graft in the non-anastomotic portion. Therefore, the patient underwent emergent surgery under general anesthesia, wherein an incision was made on both sides of the groin and the graft was clamped adjacent to the anastomotic portions. The graft was completely disrupted in the intermediate portion. After trimming, a new segment of the ringed ePTFE graft (diameter, 10 mm) was interposed. Postoperative computed tomography on the 6th postoperative day did not show any extravasation. The convalescence period was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the 14th postoperative day without any complications. In the present case, we believe that the disruption may have been caused by external force (blunt trauma) and deterioration of the graft.
