ABSTRACT
Aortic graft infections are among the most challenging and taxing problems encountered by vascular surgeons. Patients with these infections are often elderly, frail, and severely ill with multiple medical comorbidities; they are poorly equipped to tolerate the extensive, complex operations usually required to treat the problem. Complete resection and excision of all infected graft material and debridement of vascular structures are usually necessary to eradicate infection. Immediate restoration of flow to critical vascular beds by alternate anatomical routes or with in situ replacements that minimize the risk of recurrent infection challenge the skill and ingenuity of the vascular surgeon. Despite a great deal of progress in the treatment of aortic graft infections, morbidity and mortality remain higher than in any other vascular condition (1-3).
