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To determine whether acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) in a daily dose of 1500 mg versus untreated controls is effective in patients with peripheral arterial disease a prospective randomized but not placebo-controlled one single centre trial was undertaken. Patients were assigned to one of two groups by means of multi-dimensional contingency tables whereas the risk factors age, sex, height, body weight, diabetic metabolic state, hypertension, history of myocardial infarction, smoking habits and preoperative clinical status according to the Fontaine classification where found in the state of balance. 298 patients with arterial occlusions in the iliaco-femoro-popliteal level were recruited during 1971-1974, the primary end points were probability of patency and probability of survival. In regard as well as to the probability of patency (p less than 0.56 Breslow, p less than 0.66 Mantel) as to the probability of survival (p less than 0.10 Breslow, p less than 0.70 Mantel) no statistical significant difference was detected. In conclusion ASA, in the doses administered here, was unable to improve patency or prolong patient survival, an outcome, which is at variance with results obtained by others.

The ultrasonic morphology of the carotid artery following 55 endarterectomies in 50 patients (36 males, 14 females, mean age 68 (53-83) years) was studied using a high resolution ultrasound duplex system (HUDS). The examinations were done 1-3 days before as well as 2-4 days and 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after surgery, respectively. The following typical appearance after carotid endarterectomy was found: At the site of endarterectomy the new vessel wall showed the following details: lack of the "sonographic tunica intima" the thickness of the vessel wall was reduced with less pronounced ultrasonic structure compared with healthy subjects the surface toward the lumen was less smooth "ultrasonic soft" thrombotic layers with irregular surface, individual distribution (sometimes only spots) and thickness (0.5 to 4.0 mm) were seen in the majority of patients. The edge of the tunica intima was always visible in the common carotid (edge of endarterectomy) whereas in the internal carotid artery there was often an interference of the jaw. The change of caliber at the site of the edge of the tunica intima was dependent on the thickness of the "sonographic intima" as well as on the layer of the vessel wall in which endarterectomy was done. At the site of arterial clamping, intramural hematomas, lesions of the tunica intima with thrombotic layers causing some stenosis were observed after 9 of 55 procedures. Vascular sutures were always visible as bright spots. A "normalization" of local flow patterns could be seen in dependence on the morphological "normalization".(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

One-hundred and sixty-three patients in whom an isolated profundaplasty was performed as treatment for superficial femoral artery occlusion were evaluated for postoperative improvement, taking into consideration the degree of stenosis of the profunda origin and the patency of peripheral vessels. One-hundred and eleven (68.1%) patients achieved clinical improvement. Fifty-two patients had to undergo amputation (27 below the knee and 19 above the knee) or distal reconstruction (6 patients) because of unrelieved ischaemia. In patients with Fontaine stage II and III disease (89% and 70% respectively) improvement was observed more often than in those with stage IV disease (53%). Half of the patients had an increase of the resting systolic ankle-brachial arterial pressure index, but the rise was only slight (0.12 +/- 0.1). While radiological information of the presence and degree of a stenosis had little influence on the operative outcome stenosis at the origin of the profunda, when seen and described at operation, resulted in a more frequent improvement in the clinical state and systolic ankle-brachial arterial pressure index. A patent popliteal artery was not necessary for a favourable outcome but the number of patent tibial arteries was important. Whenever two tibial vessels were patent, relief was achieved in 75% of the cases: the existence of one patent tibial artery produced improvement in 64% but if all were occluded only 31% showed improvement. In cases of severe ischaemia, success following profundaplasty is limited and the results are often inadequate. If at least one tibial artery is patent, the alternative is a femoro-crural reconstruction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The outcome of 532 femoro-popliteal vein grafts performed electively during the years 1970 to 1985 for obliterative arterial disease, was analyzed using the documentation-system of the Austrian Society for Vascular Surgery, as well as SAS and BMDP-software on an IBM 4381 computer of the Medical Faculty. The probability of function was estimated according to the Kaplan-Meier method, statistical differences were checked with Breslow's and Mantel's test, the proportional hazards regression model (Cox) was used to elucidate the influence of different risk factors on each own and in combination of each other. In the univariate analysis, the preoperative clinical status was found to be of prognostic significance, but technical details such as intraoperative as well as postoperative arteriography or site of the distal anastomosis were not important. A postoperative coumarine treatment had no demonstrable impact on graft function, but positively influenced the probability of patient survival. Taking into account the factors found to be of significance in the univariate analysis (e.g. set of factors: site of distal anastomosis, diabetic state and smoking habits) were analyzed using the proportional hazards regression model but were found of no major influence. The factors preoperative clinical status, patients age, and coumarine therapy significantly influenced the probability of patient survival, but diabetes mellitus and smoking were found to be not important.

Employing an extrathoracic approach 10 patients were operated upon for 12 obstructive lesions of the subclavian arteries using carotid-subclavian anastomosis. The operation was indicated 3 times for the pathological entity of arterial stenosis embolizing into the vascular periphery, 3 times for claudication of the upper extremity and 4 times for cerebro-vascular insufficiency. Followed up to 31 months all anastomoses remained patent. All the complications were managed conservatively and were considered of minor importance.