THE SUPERFICIAL FEMORAL VEIN AS ARTERIAL SUBSTITUTE IN INFECTIONS OF THE AORTOILIAC REGION

In situ autogenous reconstruction is an alternative therapy for abdomi nal aortic prosthetic graft infection. We have used the superficial fe moral vein (SFV) as an arterial substitute for proximal aortic anastom osis in seven patients. Six patients presented with aortic perigraft i nfections and one had a mycotic aneurysm of the infrarenal aorta with a primary aortoenteric fistula. There were no intraoperative but two p ostoperative deaths. During follow-up (mean: 19.8 months), one patient died at 5 months unrelated to his preceding vascular procedures; the others were doing well with patent SFV grafts 6-36 months after autoge nous aortoiliac reconstruction. The SFV is a valuable donor vessel for autogenous reconstruction in the management of aortoiliac prosthetic graft infection. We explain both perioperative deaths in our treatment group with respect to the extent of the underlying infection and the virulence of the causative organism.