What is femoral-tibial bypass surgery?
Femoral-tibial bypass is surgery to bypass diseased blood vessels in the lower leg or foot. It may be done if blood flow is severely limited.
Your doctor uses a graft to bypass the blocked area of the blood vessel. The graft is most often a vein taken from another place in your leg. Sometimes the graft is a human-made blood vessel. The graft will carry blood from the femoral artery in your groin to the tibial artery in your lower leg or foot.
This surgery is also known as infra-popliteal reconstruction.
Why is femoral-tibial bypass surgery done?
This surgery is done for people who have narrowed or blocked tibial or peroneal arteries, which are in the leg. Usually, a person has severe symptoms or the problem is limb-threatening before bypass surgery is considered.
How is femoral-tibial bypass surgery done?
You will be asleep during the surgery, or you will be given medicine to numb your lower body and prevent pain.
The doctor will make cuts (incisions) in your skin above and below the narrowed or blocked blood vessel. If one of your veins is being used for a graft, the doctor will make another cut in your leg to remove the vein.
The doctor then connects one end of the graft to the femoral artery above the narrowed or blocked area. The other end of the graft is connected to the tibial artery in your lower leg or foot, below the narrowed or blocked area. After the graft is in place and blood is flowing through it, the doctor will close the cuts in your skin with stitches or staples.
After femoral-tibial bypass surgery: When to call
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You passed out (lost consciousness).
- You have trouble breathing.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You have sudden symptoms in the leg or foot such as severe pain, numbness, weakness, tingling, cool skin, or skin color changes. Your skin may be pale, bluish, or purplish.
- You have pain that does not get better after you take pain medicine.
- You have loose stitches, or your incisions come open.
- You are bleeding a lot from the incisions.
- You have signs of infection, such as:
- Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
- Red streaks leading from the incision.
- Pus draining from the incision.
- A fever.
- You are sick to your stomach or cannot keep fluids down.
Watch closely for any changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- You do not get better as expected.
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