Autologous alternative veins may not provide better outcomes than prosthetic conduits for below-knee bypass when great saphenous vein is unavailable.

Background: There is a need to better define the role of alternative autologous vein (AAV) segments over contemporary prosthetic conduits in patients with critical limb ischemia when great saphenous vein (GSV) is not available for use as the bypass conduit.

Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent bypass to infrageniculate targets between 2007 and 2011 were categorized in three groups: GSV, AAV, and prosthetic. The primary outcome was graft patency.