Introduction
Popliteal Artery Aneurysm (PAA) is rare but it can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The incidence of PAA is not well known, however many studies suggest that the prevalence increases with age (during the sixth or seventh decade of life).1
50% of PAA comes bilateral and 35% of patients with PAA have an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA).2
By definition, PAA is a focal dilation in its diameter of more than 50% of the normal vessel diameter.3
Atherosclerosis tends to increase flow turbulence distal to a stenosis leading to a pathological dilation of the artery.
The rate of amputation following an acute ischemia due to PAA falls between 25% and 59% and the mortality rate is 11%4.
Different surgical techniques for open surgical repair include posterior approach and medial approach. This study is of a single center experience managing PAA from 2002 to 2016 and focuses on comparing the primary patency between the medial approach and the posterior approach and its relation to the run-off of the lower limbs.
Method and Results
In the study, conducted from 2002 till 2014, an electronic database was used to collect data on 43 patients. The primary patency of these PAAs was followed. Five PAAs were treated through an endovascular technique and were excluded from this study.
The preoperative variables include the approach of the operation (either medial or posterior), the type of bypasses used in these approaches, and the vascular situation preoperatively with regard to the run off vessels at the lower limbs.