Allogenic arterial grafts in the treatment of patients with infected vascular grafts - the suggestion of a new way of allografts preservation

Abstract

Background. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of treating patients with infected vascular prosthesis using allografts preserved by the method of cold ischemia. A proposal of a new way to preserve allografts is also presented.
Material and methods. Arterial allografts preserved by means of cold ischemia (4°C for 7 days) have been introduced in treating patients with infected vascular prosthesis in the Department of Vascular Surgery and Transplantology of the Medical University in Bialystok since May 2002. Until now, 13 patients have been treated by this method. The time elapsed from the first symptom of the infection ranged from 3 months to 6 years. The surgical procedures included the removal of infected prosthesis and simultaneous implantation of arterial allograft.
Results. A complete recovery was obtained in nine patients. Four patients had to be operated again. A complication of allograft thrombosis was observed in two patients, one patient showed dehiscence of the distal anastomosis, and, in another patient the peripheral allograft wall was interrupted in the site of collateral vessels ligation. Four patients died during the early postoperative period.
Conclusion. The use of arterial allografts is a successful way of treating vascular prosthesis infections. It is profitable to preserve arterial allografts in cold ischemia for the prolonged time of 7 days as the initial preparation for deep freeze.