Management of Vascular Graft Infections with Soft Tissue Flap Coverage: Improving Limb Salvage Rates–A Veterans Affairs Experience

Abstract

Graft infections are one of the most challenging issues in surgery with an incidence of 0.7 to 7 per cent, with femoral site infections being the most common (13% incidence). The gold standard treatment has been graft removal, wide debridement, and extra-anatomical bypass. Routine excision of infected peripheral arterial grafts and vascular reconstruction with extraanatomic conduits are associated with mortality rates ranging from 10 to 30 per cent and amputation rates of up to 70 per cent. As a result of the high morbidity and mortality associated with this approach, selective graft preservation techniques have been developed. Newer treatment plans discuss preservation of the graft with debridement and coverage of the infected region. Better wound care, nutrition optimization, and robust flap coverage have led to significantly improved graft salvage, lower amputation rates, and improved outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Veterans Affairs (VA) experience with flap coverage for femoral vascular graft infections. A retrospective review was conducted of all VA data from 1997 to 2008 with inclusion criteria of patients with deep groin wound infections requiring flap coverage after femoral bypass surgery. Eleven such patients were identified with a mean age of 73 years and with multiple comorbidities (hypertension, malnutrition, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, chronic renal insufficiency). Patients presented with wound drainage, exposed graft, hematoma, perigraft fluid collection, and pseudoaneurysm. Treatment protocol included: 1) aggressive debridement of the wound bed; 2) early soft tissue (flap) coverage; 3) wound vacuum assisted closure device or frequent dressing changes; and 4) skin graft once the bed was prepared. Eighty-two per cent of wounds had positive cultures with equal numbers of patients with Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli (22%), and higher methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (33%), whereas in the literature Staphylococcus is the most common (greater than 50%). Average hospital length of stay was 94 days with average follow up at 10 months. Fifty-five per cent graft salvage (one Dacron [50%], two polytetrafluoroethylene [33%], two saphenous vein graft [100%], one cryovein [100%]) was achieved with 91 per cent limb salvage. Complications included graft blowout (two) requiring partial flap loss (one), retroperitoneal hematoma (one), limb loss (one), sepsis (one), and death (one). Infected vascular grafts remain a challenging problem requiring multidisciplinary care. Careful debridement and aggressive wound care followed by selective flap coverage appears to decrease morbidity and increase graft and limb salvage.