title: Surgical removal of an infected aortic endoprosthesis using a wire cutter.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to report a new method of removing an infected endoprosthesis from the abdominal aorta using a wire cutter. A 65-year-old man with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm was admitted to our hospital. He was treated with an endovascular abdominal endoprosthesis and discharged one week later. Three months after placement, the patient returned with an infection of the aortic endoprosthesis. The endoprosthesis had been fixed with barbs and hooks above the renal arteries and was surgically explanted by using a wire cutter to cut the hooks. The bare suprarenal stent was left in place. The patient was discharged one month after stent removal, and was treated with oral antibiotics for another ten weeks. At one year follow-up the patient showed no clinical, biochemical, or radiological signs of infection. In conclusion, infected endoprostheses should be surgically removed according to the medical literature. We recognize that removing a Zenith endoprostheses requires a dangerous operation because the hooks of the bare stent are engaged into the supra-renal aorta. This case report documents a new technique to safely remove an infected endoprosthesis with the help of a wire cutter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D E J G J
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Dolmans
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Te Slaa
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Geenen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Der Laan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D020878:Device Removal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents