A systematic review and meta-analysis of heparin-bonded expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts for below-the-knee femoral bypass surgery

Background: Heparin-bonded expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (hb-ePTFE) synthetic grafts are an alternative to autologous vein grafts (AVG) for surgical bypass interventions in lower limb peripheral arterial disease (LLPAD). However, the clinical benefits of hb-ePTFE grafts have not been reviewed systematically for patients undergoing below-the-knee (BK) surgical bypass. This study aimed to meta-analyze available data on the utility of hb-ePTFE in patients undergoing BK surgical bypass. Methods: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched, restricted to material in English with no date restriction. In addition, proceedings from relevant congresses were screened going back 2 years. The search was performed in December 2021. Eligible studies included prospective or retrospective comparative studies or prospective single-arm cohorts with an hb-ePTFE arm. Methodological quality was assessed with the ROBINS-I criteria. Outcomes included primary patency, amputation/limb salvage, and overall survival. Clinical outcomes were expressed as event rates. Studies were compared using meta-analysis to generate a standardized mean event rate for each outcome, with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI), using a random-effects model. Results: Following deduplication, 10,263 records were identified and 261 were assessed as full texts. No prospective comparative studies were identified. The level of evidence was uniformly low. Seventeen publications describing data from 9 individual patient cohorts met the inclusion criteria. These cohorts included a total of 1,452 patients undergoing BK surgical bypass with hb-ePTFE. The primary patency rate was 78.9% [95% CI: 72.2–85.7%] at 1 year, 68.2% [95% CI: 62.8–73.6%] at 2 years, decreasing to 48.0% [95% CI: 27.3–68.7%] at 5 years. The secondary patency rate was 84.8% [95% CI: 77.0–92.5%] at 1 year and 68.9% [95% CI: 43.0–94.9%] at 3 years; the 1-year limb salvage rate was 88.3% [95% CI: 79.6–97.1%] at 1 year and 79.0% [95% CI: 56.7–100%] at 3 years. Conclusions: In patients undergoing BK bypass surgery, hb-ePTFE synthetic grafts, compared to uncoated grafts, perform well for patency and limb salvage. However, the quality of the evidence is low, and well-performed randomized clinical trials are needed to inform clinical decision-making on the choice of synthetic graft.