Surgical Treatment of a High-Flow Femoro-Femoral Arteriovenous Fistula in an Intravenous Drug Abuser.

BACKGROUND: We report the surgical treatment of a high-flow femoro-femoral arteriovenous fistula (AVF), a rare complication of intravenous drug abuse.

METHODS: A 36-year-old woman with history of intravenous heroin and cocaine abuse presented with right lower limb edema, inguinal bruit, and heart failure. Duplex ultrasound examination (DUS) and computed tomography angiography showed a large, high-flow AVF involving the common femoral vein and the superficial femoral artery, which is associated with thrombosis of the great saphenous vein and an important inflammation in the right groin, without active bleeding. Under general anesthesia, the patient underwent open surgical repair of the AVF through a right-groin cutdown. The 3-cm-long AVF was repaired with the interposition of a bovine pericardium patch that is sewn from inside the femoral vein through a longitudinal venotomy with a continuous 5-0 polypropylene suture.

RESULTS: The venotomy was repaired with a 5-0 polypropylene running suture. No perioperative or postoperative complications were recorded. The inguinal bruit resolved, the arteries recovered good pulsatility, and the lower limb edema promptly reduced. A 6-month DUS confirmed the patency of the femoral arteries and veins and the absence of AVF or infection signs in the right groin.

CONCLUSIONS: Surgical repair of femoro-femoral AVF in drug abusers by biologic patch interposition is a challenging, but feasible, and effective technique with encouraging midterm results in terms of patency and resistance to infections.