Extensive disobliteration of the aorto-iliac and common femoral arteries using the Leveen plaque cracker

In 1978 Leveen et al. described an original technique for extended aortobifemoral disobliteration using a retroperitoneal approach. This technique was introduced to Europe by Widdershoven and Willekens in 1977 and was adopted in Belgium by Suy and Nevelsteen in 1982 and in Spain by Cuesta and Bengoechea in 1984. A group of 228 patients treated by the Leveen's method from 1982 to 1987 were followed-up for a mean of 21 months (1–54). Disabling claudication (66%) or more advanced ischaemia (34%) was the indication for treatment. An aorto-bifemoral endarterectomy was performed in 124 patients. Aorto-biiliac endarterectomy in 39, unilateral aortofemoral endarterectomy with a contralateral aorto-iliac endarterectomy in 17 and unilateral iliofemoral endarterectomy in 48 cases. There were seven postoperative deaths (3%) and an early thrombectomy had to be performed in 8 patients. There were 14 late deaths. Occlusion occurred in 11 patients giving a 3-year-patency rate of 97%. There were no late complications related to the technique. It is concluded that disobliteration using the Leveen technique compares well with prosthetic grafting. Since this method does not require the use of foreign material the patient is protected from the complications sometimes seen after the insertion of prosthetic grafts.