Long term follow-up of descending thoracic aorto-iliac/femoral bypass. A prospective study of 26 patients undergoing descending thoracic aorto-iliac/femoral (DTAI/F) bypass was conducted over a 13-year period with an average follow up of 53 months. Reasons for selecting the procedure were occluded aortic bifurcation grafts (9 patients), hostile abdomen (6), infected aortic graft (1), microaorta (10, and surgeons preference in 8 patients who had juxtarenal aortic occlusion. The operative mortality was 3.8% (1 patient). A late mortality of 36% was due to myocardial infarction (1), lung carcinoma (2), renal failure (4), stroke (1) and pulmonary insufficiency (1). Graft failure occurred in 4 patients at 23, 26, 54 and 109 months respectively. Primary cumulative patency was 86% statistically valid at 42 months. DTAI/F bypass is recommended in selected patients when conventional approaches to the aorta are considered unduly hazardous. 