Fístula arteriovenosa poplítea secundária a cirurgia de substituição total do joelho

Popliteal vascular lesions following total knee replacement surgery are extremely rare and its radiologic diagnosis may be compromised by the artefact caused by the prosthesis. In an era where the endovascular technique dominates the treatment of these lesions, the authors present a rare case report of a patient presenting with a popliteal arteriovenous fistula, following total knee replacement surgery, who was successfully treated by conventional surgery.

The case report refers to a female patient who presented to the Vascular Surgery office complaining of left leg pain and swelling, six years after a total left knee replacement surgery. The patient was studied with arterial and venous lower limb doppler ultrasonography, angiographic computerized tomography and digital subtraction angiography, which demonstrated findings consistent with a popliteal arteriovenous fistula. The patient was then submitted to exclusion of this fistula by conventional surgery. At 12 months follow‐up, the patient remained free of symptoms and of arteriovenous fistula recurrence, as well as of other vascular complications.