Lower extremity bypass surgery

For patients who are not good candidates for lower extremity angioplasty and stent placement to treat peripheral artery disease, lower extremity bypass surgery may be an effective option. With this surgery, a vascular surgeon will create an alternative route for blood to flow around the blockage in your leg using a graft. This graft may either be one of your own veins from either your leg or arm, or it could be an artificial vein. This graft will bypass the area of blockage and restore proper blood flow to the lower leg and foot. 

During the procedure, the vascular surgeon will select and remove the vein from your arm or leg (or use the artificial vein) to serve as the bypass graft for your artery. The graft will then be sewn to the affected artery. 

After the surgery, you may stay in the hospital for a few days. Some people may need assistance from a visiting nurse, home health aide or physical therapist after surgery. Others may need to seek recovery help at a rehabilitation facility.