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Although synchronous intrauterine and ectopic pregnancies associated with the use of clomiphene citrate for infertility are rare, the actual incidence might, in fact, be considerably higher than previously thought. The cornerstone for ruling out an extrauterine gestation is the presence of sonographic evidence of an intrauterine pregnancy, as the possibility of concomitant intrauterine and extrauterine gestation is perceived to be statistically rare. This has resulted in an unacceptably high incidence of negative ultrasound interpretations. During a recent 12 month period, four women treated with clomiphene citrate for infertility were diagnosed as having concomitant intrauterine and ectopic pregnancies. Three had pelvic sonograms that were erroneous for the extrauterine component. However, successful evacuation of the products of ectopic gestation was performed in each, despite an immediate preoperative false-negative ultrasound report. Three of the women delivered healthy normal infants at full term, and the fourth woman spontaneously aborted the products of the concomitant intrauterine gestation. All four did well postoperatively, and no gross complications were encountered. Reassessment of ultrasound diagnostic criteria and the use of more sensitive methods, such as endovaginal ultrasound in high risk patients, are indicated for any symptomatic patient using clomiphene citrate for infertility. Awareness of the prevalence of this entity and the limitations of ultrasound will lead to prompt intervention and improved survival rates.

In the absence of a suitable popliteal or tibial arterial system with direct communication to a pedal arch, the peroneal artery may be used for distal anastomosis with the expectation of achieving patency rates exceeding 60 per cent. Morbidity can be minimized by careful patient selection and by imporved surgical technique and materials. In 14 of 23 peroneal bypasses, patency was maintained compared with 27 to 35 bypasses to the tibial artery system. Limb salvage was 57 per cent for th peroneal artery group compared with 71 per cent for tibial artery reconstruction.

Bypassing aortoiliac stenosing lesions to the profunda femoria alone, even with extensive end-arterectomy and angioplasty of the latter, will not provide predictable excellent results in the presence of gangrene and occlusion in the femoral popliteal system. With severe pregangrene and rest pain, residual ischemic complaints are also common, and if lesions are present, healing is incomplete or, at best, delayed. Alternatively, femoropopliteal or tibial bypass, in the presence of even moderately diminished inflow, is subject to either early or delayed closure, unless proximal repair is also performed in appropriately selected patients. Synchronous correction of tandem lesions involving the aortoiliac and femoropopliteal segments should, therefore, be considered for limb salvage only and particularly in the presence of focal gangrene, excision or debridement of which can be anticipated to heal after successful bypass. Major diminution in femoral inflow usually indicates the need for proximal repair only, even in the presence of distal lesions. Noninvasive studies and intraoperative flow determinations are not uniformly helpful in patient selection. Synchronous aortofemoral or iliofemoral and femoropopliteal or tibial reconstructions were performed upon 38 patients, 15 of whom had no prior vascular operation and 23 of whom had previously undergone either aortofemoral or femoropopliteal bypasses that had failed. Graft patency for all patients was 76 per cent, and although it was better for the patients in group 1 than for those in group 2, no statistical significance existed between the two groups. Improved patient selection and criteria for performing synchronous reconstructions might originally have been of benefit for the patients in group 2, avoiding more difficult secondary repairs. It must be emphasized, however, that synchronous reconstructions should not be done routinely in the presence of multilevel disease. Rather, specific indications do exist and should be considered on an individual basis.

Pedal arch integrity can be determined morphologically and functionally. The former is accessible by contrast studies and intraoperative catheterization, the latter, by flow studies and observation of graft patency. The roengten image of an intact pedal arch corresponds to the anatomic plantar arch. Sixty-four arch studies obtained by adequate intraoperative arteriography were categorized as intact, deficient or inadequate or absent. Patency of crural reconstructions was obtained in 18 of 24 patients with intact arches as compared with 15 of 32, p0.06, when the arch was deficient. Crural reconstruction in the face of an inadequate or absent arch resulted in predictable graft closure. Qualitative factors, that is, size, calcium and stenotic lesions, are integrally related to over-all graft performance even with intact arches. The deficient arch for tibial and peroneal reconstruction continues as a challenge to the vascular surgeon.

Patients with patency of the distal segment of the profunda femoral arteries can be subjected to a direct end-to-side bypass with either tissue or synthetic grafts to increase blood flow to the lower extremity. The effectiveness and durability of this procedure will be enhanced by patency of the popliteal artery. Diffuse profunda femoris disease, popliteal or tibial peroneal obliterative disease and gangrenous lesions tend to militate against the success of this operation as an isolated procedure without augmenting flow to the distal part of an artery in the leg. Of 18 remote profunda femoris bypasses performed during a four year period, early amputation was required in two patients because of inadequate distal flow and the inability to establish downstream reconstruction. In one patient, an early bypass to the peroneal artery was required following closure of the profunda femoris bypass. The remaining 15 bypasses resulted in limb salvage and significant relief of symptoms. Three patients subsequently required secondary downstream reconstructions. The profunda femoris is surgically accessible for a long length and can serve as an adequate source of blood to the leg and foot in selected patients.

Intra-arterial thrombolysis with streptokinase was studied in 38 patients. The indications were peripheral thromboembolism in nine patients (group 1), postreconstruction graft thrombosis in 26 patients (group 2) and renal artery thrombosis in three patients (group 3). The intra-arterial route was used for the first and third groups and in 16 of the second group. The intravenous route was used in the remaining ten patients. Lysis was achieved in all of the group 1 and 3 patients. The latter were also treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty after dissolution of thrombus of the renal artery. In group 2 patients, lysis was achieved in eight of 16 patients in whom lytic therapy was instituted within seven days of graft closure. There was no lysis in all ten patients in whom elapsed time was more than seven days. Postlytic angiographic visualization of etiologic mechanisms for thrombosis enabled subsequent successful correction in three of five patients in group 2. Attempts to correct graft failure by surgical treatment when lysis had failed were often unsuccessful (12 of 17). Lytic therapy is most effective for acute embolic occlusion and for thrombosis of less than seven days duration. Although there is no difference in drug efficacy by route of administration, a lesser number of complications (such as, fever and hematoma) occurred with intra-arterial infusion. The effectiveness of lysis is also directly related to the collateral circulation and runoff beyond the occlusion. Lysis is not indicated for severe acute ischemia if surgical treatment is an alternative or if it may cause distal embolism as with complete axillofemoral graft thrombosis. Lytic therapy is least effective for graft thrombosis with pre-existent poor runoff.

A retrospective analysis of 391 intraoperative arteriograms performed after reconstruction operations on the carotid, aorta and lower extremity vasculature showed the value of incorporating this procedure as a routine only for the last mentioned site. Identification and correction of inadequacies due to technique are possible. Revisions in technique based upon these experiences have significantly diminished their incidence. Routine intraoperative arteriography for revascularization procedures of the lower extremity has further enabled us to classify reliably the runoff and correlate these findings with subsequent graft patency. Late graft closure, predominantly due to progressive or accelerated obliterating atherosclerosis in the distal circulation, occurred almost exclusively within the first year following reconstruction in those patients identified as having poor runoff by intraoperative arteriography. This group, in particular, should be closely monitored by noninvasive physiologic means and even post-operative arteriography to enable either prophylactic or therapeutic correction. In some instances, based upon intraoperative arteriography or subsequent studies, fruitless and potentially harmful reoperative vascular procedures may be obviated.