Femoral-tibial bypass surgery

A femoral-tibial bypass is used to bypass a narrowed or blocked artery in the leg. The bypass improves blood flow to the lower leg and foot.

To bypass a narrowed or blocked artery, blood is redirected through a graft. The graft is either a healthy blood vessel that has been transplanted or a human-made material. This graft is sewn above and below the diseased artery so that blood flows through the graft and around the diseased part.

In this picture, a graft bypasses a blockage in an artery near the knee. The graft connects the common femoral artery near the hip to a tibial artery in the lower leg.