PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF VASCULAR GRAFT INFECTIONS

Despite antibiotic prophylaxis, local antibiotic applications, sterility precautions, minimal invasive approach and careful wound care practices, prostetic vascular graft infections are still associated with high mortality and morbidity. A thorough history and physical examination are fundamentals of the accurate diagnosis of vascular graft infection. Total removal of the infected graft, appropriate antibiotic treatment and extra-anatomic by-pass are still the widespread used treatment strategies. Results from recent reported clinical investigations support treatment procedures consisted of in-situ antibiotic impregnated graft replacement, in-situ allograft and in-situ autologous graft replacement. In the present study pathogenesis of prosthetic vascular graft infection, methods to prevent them and different surgical treatment processes are overviewed. (Turkish J Vasc Sur 2007;16(3):1-12).