Takayasu's arteritis: surgical considerations.

Takayasu's arteritis, the nonspecific occlusive disease originally believed to affect young Oriental women exclusively, was identified in a 19-year-old man who had severe involvement of the aortic arch and its branches. Successful surgical treatment was accomplished with a bypass from the ascending aorta to the supraceliac abdominal aorta using a tube graft. The right vertebral artery, as the single patent vessel reaching the head, was revascularized distal to the stenosis with a tube graft that extended from the aortic graft. Revascularization of ischemic organ systems and body areas may be accomplished in most patients with Takayasu's arteritis using the bypass concept and fabric conduit grafts.