Surgical treatment for a complex congenital arteriovenous malformation of the lower limb

Abstract

Arteriovenous fistula is defined as an abnormal communication between the arterial and venous systems. The complexity of congenital arteriovenous malformations makes treatment challenging. We present the case of a 23-year-old woman who had a complex congenital arteriovenous malformation in her left leg and a history of 2 unsuccessful coil-embolization procedures. We ligated all the feeding arteries of the arteriovenous malformation in the region of the superficial femoral artery, and the surgery was successful without sequelae. The patient returned 2 years later with thrombosis of the great saphenous vein and underwent a second operation. The thrombosed vein and all varicosities were excised successfully. Surgery can be an effective method for correcting complex congenital arteriovenous malformations, especially in the lower limbs. A 2-staged surgical approach like ours might be a good option in suitable patients. © 2013 by the Texas Heart® Institute, Houston.