Successful Treatment of Prosthetic Graft Infection after Descending Thoracic Aortic Reconstruction / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Thoracic graft infection is a serious complication with high mortality. We report a case of successful treatment of graft infection after descending thoracic aortic reconstruction. A 69-year-old woman underwent surgery for impending rupture of descending thoracic aneurysm. The aneurysm was replaced with prosthetic graft (Hemashield^®). She had a high fever on the 8th postoperative day (POD). We started antibiotic treatment, but her skin broke out in a rash shortly after the therapy because of drug allergy. We stopped treatment with all drugs on the 25th POD. She left our hospital on the 98 POD, but was readmitted 5 months after the operation because of fever. A CT scan and Gallium scintigraphy demonstrated fluid and air collection around the graft and <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis </i>was detected from the culture fluid of her blood. Because of the difficulty in replacing infected grafts, sensitive antibiotics to the pathogen was administered. Inflammatory reactions improved and her general condition was stabilized. On 39 days after re-admission, she was discharged. The patient is now asymptomatic, 14 months after the operation.