Intraoperative hemodynamics of 74 autogenous femoropopliteal bypass grafts observed for one to six years have been analyzed in an attempt to correlate these measurements with graft fate. Eighteen grafts failed by 12 months and three failed at 22, 23, and 49 months, respectively.
Basal graft flow, peak graft flow after injection of 15 mg of papaverine hydrochloride into the graft, basal mean pressure gradient across the graft, peak mean pressure gradient across the graft, basal and peak total peripheral resistance, basal and peak outflow tract resistance, quantitative status of the outflow tract by two grading systems, indication for operation, presence of diabetes mellitus, age and sex of the patient, and site of the distal anastomosis (proximal and distal parts of the popliteal artery) were not of predictive value and the differences were not statistically significant for patent and occluded grafts.