Prevention of enteric erosion by vascular prostheses.

Aortoenteric fistula is an uncommon but disastrous complication of aortic reconstruction with a prosthetic graft. Prevention of enteric erosion when using a vascular prosthesis must be a foremost consideration. For these occasions, greater omentum may be used to cover the graft. However, when use of the greater omentum is not possible, the interposition of a prosthetic patch is a means of preventing duodenal erosion. We review the usual procedures for reperitonealization and report on an original method of using a prosthetic patch to prevent erosion.