GLUTEAL INFARCTION AS A COMPLICATION OF AORTOFEMORAL BYPASS-GRAFTING

Early complications following aortofemoral bypass grafting include acu te limb ischemia, renal failure, bower and spinal cord ischemia, and m yocardial infarction. Although the literature recognizes these more co mmon complications, we have found very few reports that raised the pos sibility of an anatomically determined, soft-tissue infarction as a co mplication of aortofemoral bypass grafting. Our plastic surgery servic e was consulted in August and October 1992 to examine 2 patients with soft-tissue complications following aortofemoral bypass grafting. Both patients were found to have complete gluteal infarction. Recognition of muscle infarction following aortofemoral grafting must be distingui shed from postoperative pressure sores, since the muscle infarction re quires prompt and thorough anatomic debridement to prevent in situ mus cle liquefaction and sepsis.