Muscle transposition flap for salvage of exposed peripheral prosthetic vascular grafts.
Infection of prosthetic vascular grafts, although infrequent, is a dreadful complication in vascular surgery. It is a challenge for the surgeon and is life- and limb-threatening to the patient. Conventionally, infection involving a foreign body is eradicated by removing the foreign body. Despite its theoretical appeal, this solution is fraught with danger--a high mortality rate that ranges between 10% and 30%, a high rate of protracted postoperative morbidity, and a limb amputation rate as high as 70%. The salvage of infected prosthetic vascular grafts by prompt soft-tissue coverage with transposition muscle flaps in 3 consecutive patients treated during a period of 12 years is the subject of this report.
Atiyeh
B S
BS
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon.
Hussein
M M
MM
Kayle
D I
DI
Nasser
A A
AA
Hashim
H A
HA
D000368:Aged; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000601:surgery*; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome