Femoropopliteal bypass surgery is now recommended for the treatment of
long-segment or diffuse superficial femoral artery disease. The autho
rs describe a technique for percutaneous placement of a prosthetic fem
oropopliteal graft. The technique has been accomplished with conventio
nal polytetrafluoroethylene graft material and a variety of implantati
on techniques. Technical success was achieved in eight patients who un
derwent graft placement. Grafts up to 28 cm in length were placed, and
graft patency was demonstrated up to 6 months after implantation. Six
of the eight patients were asymptomatic during the follow-up period;
one patient who had symptoms during this time underwent thrombolysis a
nd redilation of the distal stent, and the symptoms resolved. This stu
dy demonstrates the feasibility of percutaneous graft placement in the
femoral artery, but durability must be established in relation to tra
ditional bypass surgery before it can be recommended on a wider scale.