AORTIC STUMP CLOSURE WITH A TITANIUM PERMANENT CLAMP - A USEFUL EMERGENCY METHOD

Successful aortic stump closure in a patient with Behcet's disease was accomplished with a permanent titanium clamp. In May 1990, a saccular infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm was detected in this patient, an d prosthetic graft replacement was carried out. One year later, this g raft was removed because of perigraft fluid collection; the aortic stu mp was sutured closed, and a right axillobifemoral bypass was done. In November 1994, the patient was admitted to the hospital because of an aortoenteric fistula. An emergency operation was performed, and the a ortic stump was managed successfully with a permanent clamp. In patien ts with Behcet's disease, use of a permanent clamp may offer an altern ative to traditional methods for closing blown-out aortic stumps.