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Midterm results from a multicenter registry on the treatment of infrainguinal critical limb ischemia using a heparin-bonded ePTFE graft: Italian Registry Group

Pulli et al. 20101

Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Florence, Italy

Primary patency of GORE® PROPATEN® Vascular Graft

N=238
1 year 75%
2 years 67%
3 years 61%
N=86
1 year 66%
2 years 57%
3 years 52%

Patient characteristics*

Characteristic N %
Rutherford classification  
4 230 54%
5 143 34%
6 52 12%
Vessel runoff  
0 - 1 186 44%
2 - 3 239 56%
Arterial hypertension 367 86%
Diabetes 192 45%
History of smoking 326 77%
Chronic renal failure 72 17%
Adjunctive procedures–distal anastomosis  
Vein cuff 45 11%
Patching 23 5%
Tibial angioplasty 5 1%
Other procedures 12 3%

Study details

  • Retrospective, non-randomized, multi-center study
  • All patients had CLI
  • Combined fem-pop and infrapopliteal limb salvage rate at 3 years was 81% in these CLI patients

…the good results at 3 years in primary interventions in patients with more than one distal vessel and with rest pain could suggest a significant role of the heparin-bonded graft in these subgroups of patients. — R. Pulli

Primary and secondary patency rates make this graft an excellent alternative to autologous saphenous vein when it is absent, unsuitable, or of poor quality. — R. Pulli


* Total N = 425

1. Pulli R, Dorigo W, Castelli P, et al. Propaten Italian Registry Group.  Midterm results from a multicenter registry on the treatment of infrainguinal critical limb ischemia using a heparin-bonded ePTFE graft.  Journal of Vascular Surgery 2010;51(5):1167-1177.e1.