title: In situ allograft replacement of infected infrarenal aortic prosthetic grafts: results in forty-three patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dissatisfaction with conventional methods of treatment of infected infrarenal aortic prosthetic grafts and excellent long-term results reported by heart surgeons after allograft replacement for management of infections involving the ascending aorta have prompted us to investigate allograft replacement in the management of arterial infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  From October 1988 to April 1992, 43 consecutive patients with infected infrarenal aortic prosthetic grafts underwent in situ replacement with preserved allografts obtained from cadavers as part of a program to retrieve multiorgan transplant tissue. Thirty-four patients had isolated prosthetic infections, whereas nine had aortoenteric fistulas. One patient had a concomitant below-knee amputation for septic arthritis of the ankle as a result of septic emboli. Nineteen patients had nonvascular-associated procedures, including 17 intestinal procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five patients (12%) died after operation: four of general causes and one of rupture of the native aorta as a result of persistent infection. Three patients successfully underwent repeat operation for allograft-related complications (one case each of occlusion, septic rupture, and graft-enteric fistula). All surviving patients were discharged after control angiography showed patent allografts. Two patients were unavailable for follow-up. The other 36 patients have been monitored with serial duplex and computed tomography scanning for a mean follow-up of 13.8 months (range 1 to 42 months). There were four late deaths: three were unrelated to the vascular operation, and one may have been caused by late persistent or recurrent infection. Nine patients (26%) have had pathologic changes in the allograft, with three (9%) requiring repeat operation. There were no early or late postoperative amputations in the entire series.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although complete protection against persistent or recurrent infection has not been achieved and late deterioration may be expected, in situ allograft replacement seems to be a major advance in the management of infected infrarenal aortic prosthetic grafts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Pitié-Salpétrière University Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kieffer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bahnini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koskas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruotolo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Le Blevec
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Plissonnier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates