title: Management of early groin vascular bypass graft infections with sartorius and rectus femoris flaps.
abstract: Groin infections adjacent to vascular bypass grafts continue to be a source of morbidity. The authors reviewed retrospectively 9 consecutive patients with early localized groin infections treated at their institution with sartorius or rectus femoris muscle flaps between 1998 and 2002. All wounds were initially opened and drained. Wounds with necrotic tissue were treated with serial surgical debridements, with a vacuum-assisted closure device, or with wet-to-dry dressing changes. Two bypass grafts were excised and replaced in the presence of marked exposure or pseudoaneurysm. Small wounds were closed with a turnover sartorius flap and larger wounds were closed with either a muscle or musculocutaneous rectus femoris flap. Groin wounds healed in all patients without subsequent graft exposure, rupture, or pseudoaneurysm. Local wound therapy with staged debridement and muscle flaps is effective for most early localized graft infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Amy S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Colwell
authors.forename: Magruder C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Donaldson
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belkin
authors.forename: Dennis P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Orgill
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D006119:Groin / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D014945:Wound Healing