BYPASS TO THE ANTERIOR INTEROSSEOUS ARTERY IN THE FOREARM - FOLLOW-UPAT 3 YEARS

Bypass to the anterior interosseous artery in the forearm: Follow-up a t 3 years A 56 year-old, otherwise healthy woman suffered from acute i schaemia of her left arm one year after a fracture of the radius which had been treated with plaster fixation. Angiography demonstrated occl usions of the brachial, radial and ulnar arteries. Three surgical thro mbectomies, local fibrinolysis and throacoscopic sympathectomy all fai led to restore adequate blood supply to the forearm and hand. The pati ent continued to have pain on exercise and even at rest. After three m onths, an autologous vein bypass graft was implanted from the proximal brachial artery to the anterior interosseous artery. Thereafter the p atient became free of symptoms. At over three years, angiography was r epeated and demonstrated a patent bypass. Furthermore, the lumen of th e previously heavily diseased brachial artery had considerably improve d in terms of diameter and regularity. These changes and possible mech anisms are discussed.