T he incidence of graft infection ranges from 0.7% to 2.0% and is associated with a mortality of 10% to 25% (1). The main goals of management are the removal of infected graft material and reestablishment of vascular continuity using an extra-anatomic bypass or in situ graft replacement (1, 2). However, these methods carry a high mortality and re-infection rate. Conservative management comprising omental wrapping of infected grafts and long-term intravenous antibiotics has been reported in the literature (3, 4). Here, we report the use of endovascular stent grafting to treat an infected Dacron graft-associated anastomotic leak. The patient was well at the most recent follow-up and continues to receive self-administered intravenous antibiotics.
Case reportA 69-year-old man presented with a two-year history of epigastric pain. His medical history was unremarkable. An ultrasound scan revealed an abdominal aneurysm. Computed tomography (CT) confirmed a type III thoracoabdominal aneurysm. Further preoperative assessment revealed significant triple-vessel coronary disease. This necessitated urgent coronary artery bypass grafting with saphenous vein grafts to the left anterior descending, first obtuse marginal, and distal right coronary arteries. This was undertaken electively prior to the aneurysm repair.Three months later, he was readmitted for open thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair, with a logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score (EuroSCORE) of 41.67%. A left thoracolaparotomy through the eighth intercostal space was used to approach the aorta. Left heart cardiopulmonary bypass was established through the left inferior pulmonary vein and left common iliac artery. The aorta was then clamped and transected, and the intercostal arteries were under-run with Prolene sutures. A proximal anastomosis was established with a 22-mm Dacron single side-arm branched graft (Vascutek Terumo, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA). Visceral vessels were mobilized on a pedicle, and antegrade organ perfusion was employed. The vessels were then anastomosed to the graft, and a distal anastomosis was constructed. The patient was warmed and easily removed from cardiopulmonary bypass after a bypass time of 90 min.On postoperative sixth day, the patient became septic with multiple infective foci, including pneumonia, cellulitis of the left thigh, and infection of a superficial thoracic wound. He was empirically started on intravenous gentamycin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was grown from blood cultures, thoracic wound swabs, and pleural fluid. Further antibiotic treatment was guided by the microbiology cultures, leading to combination treatment with metronidazole, meropenem, and cefuroxime. He eventually recovered fully and was discharged on day 30. At discharge, the patient had no clinical,
INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY CASE REPORT
Management of an infected aortic graft with endovascular stent graftingSara Jamel, Rizwan Attia, Christopher Young ABSTRACT Aortic graft infection, one of the most common ...