title: Current options in prosthetic vascular graft infection: comparative analysis of 63 consecutive cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study was conducted to compare the results of two different techniques of vascular reconstruction in patients after the removal of infected vascular prostheses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three patients with vascular prostheses infections underwent treatment. Either the infected fragments or the entire prosthesis was removed in all of the patients. Extra-anatomical grafts were implanted in 19 cases. Cryopreserved allogenic arterial grafts were applied for reconstruction in 44 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a 19-patient group with extra-anatomical grafts, two patients died (10.5%). In seven patients (36.8%) relapse symptoms of infection appeared. Primary and secondary patencies of the grafts after 3 years were 31.6% and 52.6% respectively. In a group of 44 patients with allogenic grafts no recurrence of infection was observed. Six patients died (13.6%). Primary and secondary patencies after 3 years were 63.6% and 81.8% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results reveal the benefits of the allogenic arterial grafts in revascularization in patients with major vascular prostheses infections. The differences in secondary patencies of the implanted allogenic grafts indicate the necessity of an early selection of patients for the complete removal of the infected prosthesis, during a time when patients are in general good health.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, ul. Dluga 1/2, 61-848, Poznan, Poland. mgabriel@pro.onet.pl
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: Fryderyk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pukacki
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Checinski
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oszkinis
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanisic
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zielinski
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pawlaczyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency