Endovascular grafts for the treatment of aortoiliac disease associated with severe limb-threatening ischemia

Occlusive disease of the aorta, iliac arteries, and femoral arteries may be responsible for limb-threatening ischemia, particularly when multiple levels of the arterial system are involved. The combined treatment of severe aortoiliac and infrainguinal disease using standard techniques may be hazardous or contraindicated in patients with multiple previous reconstructions and/or severe comorbid medical illnesses. Endovascular aortoiliac grafts, often in combination with conventional surgical infrainguinal bypasses, are a technically feasible and safe option for the treatment of limb-threatening aortoiliofemoral occlusive disease and have demonstrated encouraging early patency. Long-term follow-up and improvements in the available endovascular grafts will be necessary prior to widespread application of this technique.