Use of polytetrafluoroethylene grafts in elderly and high-risk patients.

Despite well established methods of vascular surgery, the elderly patient has not been considered a candidate for operation because of a high operative risk and a limited life expectancy. Simplified surgical procedures and the use of new graft material now permit vascular reconstruction with minimal injury to the tissues, little blood loss, and a short operative time. The immediate postoperative mortality after vascular surgery in 68 patients 70 to 88 years of age threatened with immediate amputation was 3%. Seventy-five percent of the limbs were intact 12 months after operation and 55% after 24 months. Thus when amputation of ischemic extremities seems unavoidable, a vascular reconstruction should always be considered even in elderly patients.