Peripheral Artery Bypass Surgery
Peripheral artery bypass surgery restores circulation to the leg by creating a new route for blood to flow around a narrowed or blocked artery. The blockage is typically caused by peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition where fatty deposits—such as cholesterol—build up inside the arteries and reduce blood flow. To bypass the blockage, a surgeon uses a vein from the patient or a synthetic graft to reroute blood around the affected area.
Bypass surgery is typically performed under anesthesia using small incisions and is recommended when other treatments have not been effective. This procedure can help relieve pain, encourage healing, and reduce the risk of limb loss. We can use your vein or synthetic graft as a bypass conduit.
A femoral-femoral bypass, or fem-fem bypass, is performed when one of the iliac arteries—the large arteries in the pelvis that supply blood to the legs—is blocked. In this procedure, the surgeon connects the femoral arteries (which are the continuations of the external iliac arteries) in each groin using a graft, allowing blood to flow from the healthy side to the affected leg.
A femoral-popliteal bypass, or fem-pop bypass, is performed when there’s a blockage in the superficial femoral artery in the thigh. The surgeon connects the femoral artery in the upper thigh to the popliteal artery behind the knee using a graft, restoring blood flow to the lower leg and foot.
A femoral-tibial bypass, or below-knee bypass, is performed when there’s a blockage in the arteries of the lower leg, specifically between the femoral artery and the tibial arteries. The surgeon connects the femoral artery in the upper thigh to one of the tibial arteries in the lower leg using a graft, restoring blood flow around the blockage.
An aortobifemoral bypass is performed when there’s a blockage in the major arteries of the abdomen or pelvis (the aorta or iliac arteries). The surgeon connects the abdominal aorta to the two femoral arteries in the groin using a y-shaped graft, restoring blood flow around the blockage.
