Axillary-bifemoral and axillary-unifemoral artery grafts have similar perioperative outcomes and patency.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that more bypass outflow targets for bypass grafts improve patency and outcomes. Our objective was to examine this in a multicenter contemporary series of axillary to femoral artery grafts.

METHODS: The Vascular Quality Initiative database was queried for all axillary-unifemoral (AxUF) and axillary-bifemoral (AxBF) bypass grafts performed between 2010 and 2017 for claudication, rest pain, and tissue loss. Patients with acute limb ischemia were excluded. Patients' demographics and comorbidities as well as operative details and outcomes were recorded. Univariable, multivariable, and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to assess long-term outcomes.

RESULTS: There were 412 (32.9%) AxUF grafts and 839 (67.1%) AxBF grafts identified. Overall, the mean age of the patients was 68.3 years, 51.1% were male, and 84.7% were white. Compared with AxBF grafts, AxUF grafts were more often performed for urgent cases; in patients who were younger, male, nonambulatory, and diabetic; and in those with preoperative anticoagulation, critical limb ischemia, prior bypass, aneurysm repair, peripheral vascular intervention, and major amputation (P < .05 for all). There were no significant differences between AxUF and AxBF grafts in perioperative wound complications (4.2% vs 2.9%; P = .23), cardiac complications (7.3% vs 10.4%; P = .08), pulmonary complications (4.1% vs 6%, P = .18), early stenosis/occlusion (0.2% vs 0.8%; P = .22), perioperative mortality (2.9% vs 3.2%; P = .77), and length of stay (6.4 ± 5.6 days vs 6.7 ± 8 days; P = .29). The mean estimated blood loss (268.1 mL vs 348.6 mL; P < .001) and mean operative time (201 minutes vs 224.1 minutes; P < .001) were significantly lower for AxUF grafts. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that AxUF and AxBF grafts had similar freedom from graft occlusion (62.6% vs 71.8%; P = .074), major adverse limb event-free survival (57.1% vs 66.6%; P = .052), and survival (86% vs 86%; P = .897) at 1 year. Major amputation-free survival was lower for AxUF grafts (63.7% vs 73%; P = .028). Multivariable analysis also showed that the type of graft configuration did not independently predict occlusion/death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77-1.46; P = .72), amputation/death (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.83-1.51; P = .45), major adverse limb event/death (HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.73-1.3; P = .85), or mortality (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.65-1.26; P = .55). Three-year survival after placement of AxUF and AxBF grafts was similar (75.1% vs 78.2%; P = .414).

CONCLUSIONS: AxUF and AxBF grafts have similar perioperative and 1-year outcomes. Graft patency was not significantly different between an AxBF graft and an AxUF graft at 1 year. Overall, patients treated with these reconstructions have many comorbidities and low long-term survival.