Sparks mandril, velour Dacron and autogenous saphenous vein grafts in femoropopliteal bypass.

Ninety-nine consecutive vascular reconstructions with femoropopliteal bypass performed during 1973--6 have been reviewed. A Sparks mandril was used in 11 patients, reversed autogenous saphenous vein in 30 and velour Dacron prostheses in 58. The indication for operation was severe ischaemia in 79 per cent. The overall patency rate at 12 months was 70 per cent for autogenous vein, 46 per cent for velour Dacron prosthesis and 18 per cent for Sparks mandril. When the distal anastomosis was located above the knee the patency rate was 100 per cent and 87 per cent for autogenous vein and velour Dacron graft respectively, while the corresponding figures for distal anastomosis below the knee were 58 per cent and 11 per cent. At follow-up 60 per cent of the patients showed improvement owing to the vascular reconstruction.