Clinical comparison between simple laminectomy and laminectomy plus posterior instrumentation in surgical treatment of cervical myelopathy.

BACKGROUND: Posterior stabilization in patients treated with laminectomy for spondylotic cervical myelopathy is still a debate. Despite both being reported in literature by several authors, some controversies still exist. The aim of this study is to compare clinical and radiological outcomes in patients treated with laminectomy or laminectomy with posterior stabilization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 42 patients affected by cervical myelopathy (mean age 70.43 ± 5.03 years), 19 treated with laminectomy (group A) and 23 with laminectomy and posterior instrumentation (group B). Neurological status was assessed with Nurick scale, pain with VAS and radiological parameters with C2-C7 SVA, T1 slope and C2-C7 lordosis, clinical function with modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (JOA). Also, surgery time and blood loss were recorded. Student's t test was used for continuous variables, while Kruskal-Wallis test was used for categorical values. RESULTS: No differences were found in postoperative Nurick scale (p = 0.587), VAS (p = 0.62), mJOA (p = 0.197) and T1 slope (p = 0.559), while laminectomy with fusion showed better postoperative cervical lordosis (p = 0.007) and C2-C7 SVA (p < 0.00001), but higher blood loss (p < 0.00001) and surgical time (p < 0.00001). Both groups showed better Nurick scale (p = 0.00017 for group A and p = 0.00081 for group B), VAS (p = 0.02 for group A and p = 0.046 for group B) and mJOA (p < 0.00001 for both groups) than preoperative values. CONCLUSIONS: Both treatments are a valuable choice, offering some benefits and disadvantages against each other. Each procedure must be carefully evaluated on the basis of patients' general status, preoperative pain, signs of instability and potential benefits from cervical alignment correction.

Extended lymphadenectomy in elderly and/or highly co-morbid gastric cancer patients: A retrospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Gastrectomy with extended lymphadenectomy is considered the gold standard treatment for advanced gastric cancer, with no age- or comorbidity-related limitations. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of curative gastrectomy with extended nodal dissection, verifying survival in elderly and highly co-morbid patients. METHODS: In a retrospective multicenter study, we examined 1322 non-metastatic gastric-cancer patients that underwent curative gastrectomy with D2 versus D1 lymphadenectomy from January 2000 to December 2009. Postoperative complications, overall survival (OS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) according to age and the Charlson Comorbidity Score were analyzed in relation to the extent of lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: Postoperative morbidity was 30.4%. Complications were more frequent in highly co-morbid elderly patients, and, although general morbidity rates after D2 and D1 lymphadenectomy were similar (29.9% and 33.2%, respectively), they increased following D2 in highly co-morbid elderly patients (39.6%). D2-lymphadenectomy significantly improved 5-year OS and DSS (48.0% vs. 37.6% in D1, p < 0.001 and 72.6% vs. 58.1% in D1, p < 0.001, respectively) in all patients. In elderly patients, this benefit was present only in 5-year DSS. D2 nodal dissection induced better 5-year OS and DSS rates in elderly patients with positive nodes (29.7% vs. 21.2% in D1, p = 0.008 and 47.5% vs. 30.6% in D1, p = 0.001, respectively), although it was present only in DSS when highly co-morbid elderly patients were considered. CONCLUSION: Extended lymphadenectomy confirmed better survival rates in gastric cancer patients. Due to high postoperative complication rate and no significant improvement of the OS, D1 lymphadenectomy should be considered in elderly and/or highly co-morbid gastric cancer patients.

Gastric GISTs: Analysis of c-Kit, PDGFRA and BRAF mutations in relation to prognosis and clinical pathological characteristics of patients - A GIRCG study.

BACKGROUND: Gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) represent a subgroup of GISTs with a better prognosis than those located in other areas. In this retrospective study we performed a molecular characterization of a large series of patients with gastric GISTs in relation to clinical-pathological characteristics and prognosis. METHODS: DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded sections from 221 gastric GIST patients submitted to surgery. Exons 9, 11, 13 and 17 of KIT, exons 12 and 18 of PDGFRA and exons 11 and 15 of BRAF were analyzed by direct sequencing. Cox regression analysis adjusted for clinical-pathological factors was performed to evaluate KIT and PDGFRA mutations in relation to the composite endpoint of relapse or death. RESULTS: KIT and PDGFRA mutations were observed in 119 (53.8%) and 56 (25.3%) patients, respectively, whereas 46 (20.8%) patients had wild type (wt) disease. Univariable analyses showed that a high Miettinen risk category and the presence of ulceration and KIT deletions were associated with increased risk of relapse or death (p < 0.001; p = 0.0389 and p = 0.002, respectively). After adjusting for Miettinen risk score, KIT deletions remained an independent prognostic factor (HRadj = 2.65, 95% CI [1.15-6.13], p = 0.023). Moreover, KIT deletions in exon 11 codons 557, 558 or 559 were associated with a higher risk of relapse or death than wt tumors (HRadj = 3.29 95% CI [1.64-6.64], p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: KIT deletions in exon 11, especially those involving codons 557, 558 or 559, were correlated with a more aggressive gastric GIST phenotype and increased risk of relapse or death.

Validation of the new AJCC TNM staging system for gastric cancer in a large cohort of patients (n = 2,155): focus on the T category.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of T subclassification in patients with gastric carcinoma has been just implemented in the new AJCC TNM staging system, which has reclassified T2a and T2b into T2 and T3 tumors, respectively. The aim of the present study was to validate the prognostic significance of the new T categorization within the frame of the latest TNM staging system. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 686 T2/T3 patients among 2155 subjects who underwent radical resection for gastric carcinoma at six Italian centers from 1988 through 2006. RESULTS: Upon multivariate analysis, the new T categories, extent of lymph node dissection (D) and patient's age were retained by the survival model as independent prognostic factors. In particular, the death risk for patients with T3 tumors was higher than that of patients with T2 tumors (HR: 1.42, P = 0.005). Among the 686 patients previously classified as having T2 tumors, patients with T2 and T3 disease were 270 (39.4%) and 416 (60.6%), respectively. After a median follow-up of 55 months, the 5-year overall survival rates were 67.3% and 52.3% for patients with T2 and T3 tumors, respectively (P < 0.001). The survival advantage for the T2 as compared to T3 category was maintained even when N0 and N+ patients were separately considered (P = 0.0154 and P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm the prognostic difference between the newly proposed T2 and T3 categories, which should be implemented in the routine clinical practice to improve risk stratification of patients with gastric cancer.

Changing clinical and pathological features of gastric cancer over time.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present multicentre observational study was to evaluate potential changes in clinical and pathological features of patients with gastric cancer (GC) treated in a 15-year interval. METHODS: A centralized prospective database including clinical, surgical, pathological and follow-up data from 2822 patients who had resection of a primary GC was analysed. The analysis focused on three periods: 1991-1995 (period 1), 1996-2000 (period 2) and 2001-2005 (period 3). Surgical procedure, pathological classification and follow-up were standardized among centres. RESULTS: The number of resections decreased from 1024 in period 1 to 955 and 843 in periods 2 and 3 respectively. More advanced stages and a smaller number of intestinal-type tumours of the distal third were observed over time. Five-year survival rates after R0 resection (2320 patients) did not change over time (overall: 56·6 and 51·2 per cent in periods 1 and 3; disease-free: 66·8 and 61·1 per cent respectively). Decreases in survival in more recent years were related particularly to more advanced stage, distal tumours and tumours in women. Multivariable analysis showed a lower probability of overall and disease-free survival in the most recent interval: hazard ratio 1·22 (95 per cent confidence interval 1·06 to 1·40) and 1·29 (1·06 to 1·58) respectively compared with period 1. Recurrent tumours were more frequently peritoneal rather than locoregional. CONCLUSION: Overall and disease-free survival rates after R0 resection of GC were unchanged over time.

Metachronous hepatic metastases from gastric carcinoma: a multicentric survey.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of hepatic metastases from gastric cancer is controversial, due to biologic aggressiveness of the disease. OBJECTIVE: To survey the clinical approach to the subset of patients presenting with metachronous hepatic metastases as sole site of recurrence after curative resection of gastric cancer, focusing on the results achieved by different therapies and to investigate the prognostic factors of major clinical relevance. METHODS: Retrospective multi-center chart review evaluating 73 patients, previously submitted to D >or= 2 gastrectomy for gastric cancer, who developed exclusive hepatic recurrence. Prognostic factors related to the patient, to the gastric malignancy and its treatment, and to the metastatic disease and its therapy were evaluated. RESULTS: Forty-five patients received supportive care, 17 were submitted to chemotherapy, and 11 to hepatic resection. Survival was independently influenced by the variables T (p=0.019), N (p=0.05) and G (p=0.018) of the gastric primary and by the therapeutic approach to the metastases (p<0.005). In particular, T4 gastric cancer, presence of lymph-node metastases and G3 tumor displayed a negative prognostic value. Therapeutic approach to the metastases was the principal prognostic variable: 1, 2, and 3 years survival rates were 22.2%, 4.4% and 2.2%, respectively, for patients without specific treatment; 44.9%, 12.8% and 6.4% after chemotherapy (p=0.08) and 80.8%, 30.3% and 20.2% after surgical resection (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest some clinical criteria that may facilitate selection of therapy for patients with hepatic recurrence after primary gastric cancer resection. The best survival rates are associated with surgical treatment, which should be chosen whenever possible.

The prognostic value of N-ratio in patients with gastric cancer: validation in a large, multicenter series.

AIMS: The proportion between metastatic and examined lymph nodes (N-ratio) has been proposed as an independent prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer. In the present work we validated the reliability of N-ratio in a large, multicenter series. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 1853 patients who underwent radical resection for gastric carcinoma. Survival of patients with >15 (Group-1, n=1421) and those with < or =15 (Group-2, n=432) lymph nodes examined was separately analyzed in order to evaluate the influence of lymph node dissection on disease staging. N-ratio categories (N-ratio 0, 0%; N-ratio 1, 1-9%; N-ratio 2, 10-25%; N-ratio 3, >25%) were determined by the best cut-off approach. RESULTS: At multivariate analysis, N-ratio (but not TNM N-category) was retained as an independent prognostic factor both in Group-1 and Group-2 (HR for N-ratio 1, N-ratio 2 and N-ratio 3=1.67, 2.96 and 6.59, and 1.56, 2.68 and 4.28, respectively). After a median follow-up of 45.5 months, the 5-year overall survival rates of TNM N0, N1 and N2 patients were significantly different in Group-1 vs Group-2. This was not the case when adopting the N-ratio classification, suggesting that a low number of excised lymph nodes can lead to patients being understaged using the N-category, but not N-ratio. Moreover, N-ratio identified subsets of patients with significantly different survival rates within TNM N1 and N2 categories in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: N-ratio is a simple and reproducible prognostic tool that can stratify patients with gastric cancer, including those cases with limited lymph node dissection. These data support the rationale to propose the implementation of N-ratio into the current TNM staging system.

[Results of elective open surgery for juxtarenal aortic aneurysms]. / I risultati del trattamento elettivo in open surgery degli aneurismi juxtarenali dell'aorta.

Review of the most significant surveys (data base: Pub Med on September 2003) of elective open surgery for Juxtarenal aneurysms and personal results of 106 cases (9.3% of AAA consecutively operated in the last 11 yrs.) are reported. Mortality and morbidity are discussed related to: technique of aortic cross-clamping; protective measures on splanchnic and renal perfusion; risks from previous CAD and chronic renal failure. Over all, the main predictive factor is the accuracy of the selected technique, without any difference among different approaches, and the same results of infrarenal aneurysms can be obtained.

Retrospective histologic comparison of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric carcinoma, ulcerous disease and non-ulcerous dyspepsia.

Although a number of epidemiological, biological and clinical studies have been published, the effective role of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric carcinogenesis remains unclear. In the present work we retrospectively compared Helicobacter infection rate, by means of histologic examination of gastric bioptic samples, in 70 patients affected by gastric carcinoma, 70 with ulcerous disease and 70 with non-ulcerous dyspepsia. The analysis was carried out by a single pathologist. The differences between the 3 groups were not statistically significant. From our present and previously reported data, the Helicobacter infection cannot be considered per se a significant risk factor for malignant gastric disease and further studies are needed to evaluate the role of Helicobacter infection in the development of some preneoplastic conditions such as chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia.

[Distal pancreatic resection with splenic preservation for metastasis of renal carcinoma diagnosed 24 years later from the nephrectomy]. / Pancreasectomia distale con preservazione della milza per metastasi di carcinoma renale diagnosticato a 24 anni di distanza dalla nefrectomia.

Renal cell carcinoma is a malignant tumor with a singular biological behaviour, presenting in some reported cases very late metastases. This report describes a case of solitary pancreatic metastasis from kidney carcinoma, operated on 24 years before, that appears exceptional because of the long disease-free period after nephrectomy and the unusual metastatic site. The 73-year-old woman concluded the follow-up several years before; she presented aspecific abdominal pain and ultrasonographic examination and CT-scan revealed the presence of a mass in the pancreatic istmus. The mass was excised with splenic preservation and was diagnosed to be a pancreatic metastasis from clear cell renal carcinoma. We discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic features of this tumors. It appears important to obtain the diagnosis preoperatively, because good results may be obtained with surgery, justifying an aggressive surgical approach.

Is there an association between Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin Cag A seropositivity and risk for gastric cancer?

BACKGROUND: Since discovered in 1990, Cag A, a protein expressed by specific strains of Helicobacter pylori, was thought able to explain why only a few Helicobacter infected patients develop peptic diseases and gastric cancer. However, clinical trials provide discordant results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study we evaluate Helicobacter pylori and Cag A seropositivity in 35 cancer affected patients, in 36 gastritis affected patients and in 40 healthy blood donors by means of two commercially available fluorescence enzyme-immunoessay (ELISA). RESULTS: Odds ratios determination strongly suggests that Cag A bearer Helicobacter strains play a pathogenetic role in gastric diseases (OR 4.23, 95% CI 3.22-5.24 for cancer versus healthy volunteers, OR 3.2, 95% CI 2.19-4.21 for gastritis versus asymptomatic patients), but is unable to demonstrate a direct carcinogenic activity (cancer-gastritis difference is not significant: OR 1.32, 95% CI 0.39-1.25). CONCLUSIONS: Cag A seropositivity can be considered a risk factor for peptic disease, and only indirectly for gastric carcinoma. The paper also discuss some sampling, laboratory and statistical bias that can explain a wide eterogenity of the results reported in the literature.

Suprarenal aortic cross-clamping in elective abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.

INTRODUCTION: this retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate whether suprarenal aortic cross-clamping increased the perioperative mortality and morbidity as compared to infrarenal clamping, in order to create the rationale for a more extensive application of this apparently more traumatic manoeuvre. MATERIALS AND METHODS: in a series of 734 elective aortic substitutions for abdominal aneurysm (AA), performed consecutively from January 1992 to June 1999, aortic cross-clamping was performed at a suprarenal level in 56 juxtarenal aneurysms, i.e. aneurysms extending to the lower edge of the renal arteries (8%, Group 1), and at an infrarenal level in 634 subrenal aneurysms (92%, Group 2). When analysing preoperative data, the diameter of aneurysms was larger in Group 1 than in Group 2 (p<0. 005). No significant differences were found between the two groups as regards age, sex, postinfarction cardiomyopathy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic renal insufficiency and ASA classification of operative risks. RESULTS: the average time of renal exclusion in the juxtarenal aneurysms was 20 min (range 12-35 min). There is no difference between the two groups as regards the time of aortic clamping (mean 50 vs. 60 min) or the need for homologous blood transfusion (7% vs. 11% of patients). Perioperative (30 days) mortality did not differ: 3.6% vs. 1.9% (n.s.); nor did the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (3.6% vs. 2.3%). Renal function deteriorated in 8 (14%) vs. 0 (0%) (p<0.001) and 1 patient (2%) required permanent dialysis, as compared to 0% in Group 2. The incidence of ischaemic colitis was also significantly higher in Group 1 (7%) than in Group 2 (2%, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: this data shows that suprarenal clamping, which is necessary for the radical treatment of juxtarenal aortic aneurysms, can be performed with a low risk.

Glass transition in the quenched and annealed version of the frustrated lattice gas model

In this paper we study the three-dimensional frustrated lattice gas model in the annealed version, where the disorder is allowed to evolve in time with a suitable kinetic constraint. Although the model does not exhibit any thermodynamic transition it shows a diverging peak at some characteristic time in the dynamical nonlinear susceptibility, similar to the results on the p-spin model in mean field and the Lennard-Jones mixture recently found by Donati et al. (e-print cond-mat/9905433). Comparing these results to those obtained in the model with quenched interactions, we conclude that the critical behavior of the dynamical susceptibility is reminiscent of the thermodynamic transition present in the quenched model, and signaled by the divergence of the static nonlinear susceptibility, suggesting therefore a similar mechanism also in supercooled glass-forming liquids.

[Benign non-parasitic cysts of the spleen]. / Cisti benigne non parassitarie della milza.

The present retrospective study is related to 7 cases of non-parasitic splenic cysts, 5 post-traumatic and 2 true epidermoid. Symptoms of displacement and pressure on adjacent viscera or physical examination showing an enlarged spleen have caused the beginning of diagnostic investigation in some patients, in others the cyst has been incidentally discovered. The young age and the positive history for prior trauma suggest for pseudocyst but they didn't give us absolute value. We have valued the contribution of the different radiological techniques (scintigraphy, US, CT, selective celiac arteriography, percutaneous biopsy) in the diagnosis of these lesions. The CT has shown to be the gold standard but it wasn't able to distinguish the post-traumatic from true splenic cysts. Such diagnosis is often not sure neither thought the histological study since the epithelial lining typical of the true cysts may have partially or completely destroyed by secondary alterations. However it can be observed also in the pseudocysts by proliferation of epithelial cells included in the traumatic hematoma. Surgery is primarily recommended for the prevention of complications as infection, hemorrhage, rupture in both types of cysts. Partial splenectomy according to the anatomic vascular distribution have permitted in 3/7 cases to resect the cyst preserving the functioning splenic tissue avoiding the long-term adverse effects of splenectomy.

Early and long-term prognostic factors after liver resection for HCC.

The Authors discuss the principal early and long term predictive factors after liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The Authors report (131 cases) early mortality as 7.6%, entirely confined in the group, numerically prevalent and affected by cirrhosis. None of the 50 patients with chronic hepatitis (29 cases) or normal liver (21 cases) died after hepatic resection. Mortality is higher in Child B patients (20.7%) and in cases in which a massive haemotransfusion was given (p < 0.05), apart from the width of resection and from the number of hepatic resections. None of 41 cirrhotic Child A patients undergoing a limited hepatic resection (< or = 1 segment) died during the perioperative period. In the group of patients which survived to the resection, global survival at 5 years was 45%. The most important prognostic factor is local recurrence while cirrhosis and the degree of liver failure are not statistically significant. No feature can identify a subgroup of patients with a higher risk of recurrence, which is observed in 52% of patients with a follow up observation after more than 1 year. Among the 29 patients alive after more than 4 years from liver resection, only 11 didn't have local recurrence. The others were treated with iterative hepatic resections or with radiological techniques. In conclusion, the present experience suggests that, in selected cases, hepatic resection could be a low risk therapy (in cirrhotic patients as well). The long term results could improve with an aggressive attitude towards recurrence.

[Splanchnic aneurysms: 10 treated cases and review of the literature]. / Gli aneurismi splancnici: 10 casi trattati e revisione della letteratura.

The splanchnic aneurysms, which are complicated by rupture in 25% of cases with a mortality of 25-70%, are usually a surprise during diagnostic tests for other abdominal pathologies or emergency laparotomies. 10 cases treated (8 in elective and 2 in emergency surgery) are presented here: the aneurysm was in celiac trunk (1 patient), common hepatic artery (1 pt.), hepatic artery (2 pts.), gastroduodenal artery (1 pt.), superior mesenteric artery (1 pt.), inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (1 pt.), right colic artery (1 pt.) and inferior mesenteric artery (1 pt.). There were 1 case of Marfan syndrome and 9 cases of atherosclerosis, 4 of which arteries presenting hyperdynamic flow consequent to occlusions of the superior mesenteric artery and/or the celiac trunk. The 2 cases operated on for hemoperitoneum underwent aneurysmectomy and ligation of the inflow vessels (1 death from pulmonary embolism on 5th postoperative day), whereas the 8 cases electively treated (with no deaths and I case of transient diarrhoeal syndrome) underwent 4 aneurysmal resections with end-to-end arterial reconstruction, 3 PTFE-graft substitutions and 1 autologous saphenous vein substitution. At follow-up (12-74 months; mean 30.6) all the reconstructions resulted successful. These data confirm the consistent indications of the recent Literature suggesting the indication to the surgical treatment of the incidental aneurysms in the splanchnic area.

Surgery for obstructive lesions of the main trunk of the renal artery. A review of the literature and personal experience of 41 operated patients.

Today, surgical revascularization of the renal artery seems to maintain interest in the therapy of renovascular hypertension and chronic ischemic nephropathy because both medical therapy and angioplasty show limits and inconveniences. The authors present here their experience of 45 revascularized renal arteries in 41 patients and they discuss early and late morphological and functional results related to isolated arterial renal pathology (Group 1 of 23 patients) and associated to aorto-iliac pathology (Group 2 of 18 patients). Mortality related to arterial renal reconstruction was nil. There were 3/45 arteries (6.6%) with early thromboses and 4/32 (9.3%) with late thromboses. Early functional results, with respect to renovascular hypertension and/or chronic ischaemic renal insufficiency, showed 16/41 (39%) healed patients, 16/41 (39%) improved patients and 9/41 (22%) unvariated patients. Late results among 28 observed patients (average follow up at 49 months, range from 18 to 144 months) showed 14/28 (50%) healed patients, 11/28 (39%) improved patients and 3/28 (11%) unvariated patients. Results of the Group I were significantly better than results of Group 2 with regards to healed patients (p < 0.01) but not summarizing healed and improved cases. These data have been discussed in comparison with the Literature review of 46 references.

[Indications and short and medium time results of crossover bypasses in the treatment of obstructive arteriopathies of the lower limbs]. / Indicazioni e risultati a breve e medio termine dei pontaggi cross-over nel trattamento della arteriopatia ostruttiva degli arti inferiori.

The authors evaluate the indications, the hemodynamical aspects, the short and medium term results over their track record of 49 crossover bypass (44 dacron and 5 PTFE grafts) performed between 1981 and 1993. Crossover bypass grafts were mainly inserted for unilateral iliac arterial disease in order to avoid aortic manipulation. This procedure was particularly selected when in presence of: young patients (< 60 years old), high surgical risk, poor run-off, high risk of prosthetic infection, thrombosis and/or infection of orthotopic grafts. 3 ilio-iliac, 27 iliofemoral, 18 femorofemoral and 1 femoropopliteal bypass have been performed. The postoperative resting pressure Index increase was highly significant in recipient limbs. There wasn't perioperative mortality; during the follow up (mean 24.4 months) no amputation of recipient limb was observed. 4 patients died of A.M.I. and 1 of neoplastic disease. Late cumulative patency rate was 81% at 2 years and 67.3% at 3 years. These values rise to 97.2% and 86.1% respectively when considering patients with "ideal" indication (excluding 7 patients operated on for complications of previous bypass grafts and 6 with extremely poor run-off). An accurate evaluation of the lesion topography and haemodynamic pattern of donor and recipient iliofemoral districts are stressed as key points for a correct surgical indication.

Immediate detection of postreconstructive ischaemia by intra-operative Doppler ankle pressure index monitoring during aortic reconstructions.

From March 1980 to February 1988, 368 aorto-iliac or aorto-femoral bilateral reconstructions were performed for aneurysmal or occlusive disease. In order to demonstrate early postreconstructive ischaemic complications, the intra-operative Doppler Ankle Pressure Index (API) was measured immediately before reconstruction (PRE), just after declamping (DEC) and 5, 15, 30 and 45 min thereafter. Each limb of the reconstruction (736) was considered individually and subdivided as follows: Group (A) 705 immediately successful (96% of limbs and 92% of patients); Group (B) 22 (3% of limbs and 5% of patients) in which, on the grounds of API data, an ischaemic complication was regarded as imminent and treated by graft revision or a peripheral thromboembolectomy (intra-operative corrections); Group (C) 9 (1% of limbs and 2% of patients) in which the diagnosis of ischaemic complications was made postoperatively when the patients underwent successful reoperation. All 736 reconstructions were patent and functional at discharge of the patient. By a retrospective analysis the intra-operative APIs were studied and the features (single or associated) suggesting an ischaemic complication examined. These were: (1) no flow at the time of declamping or its disappearance during the operation (10 cases, 1.25% of limbs) all detected and successfully corrected intra-operatively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)