Axillobifemoral bypass and aortic exclusion for vascular septic lesions: a multicenter retrospective study of 98 cases. French University Association for Research in Surgery.

Ninety-eight patients with aortic infection or aortoenteric fistula were treated by axillobifemoral bypasses and aortic exclusion by 22 surgical teams. Early mortality was 24%. Primary patency at two and five years was 62% and 55%, respectively. Actuarial primary patency at two and five years was 82% and 65%, respectively. The actuarial rate of limb salvage at two and five years was 90% and 82%, respectively. Eight aortic stumps ruptured in less than eight months, postoperatively. Two of these ruptures were treated with success. Infection of the axillobifemoral bypasses was observed in seven cases, six of which were treated successfully. Eight patients had axillary complications, all treated successfully without upper limb sequelae. In eight cases, the axillobifemoral bypass was replaced by a thoracic aortic bypass. Early mortality was higher after emergency operation (30%) than after elective operation (14%). Mortality after cure of primary infection (7%) was lower than after secondary infection (27%). The rate of infection in polytetrafluoroethylene axillobifemoral bypass (3%) was lower than in Dacron axillobifemoral bypass (13%). The rate of occlusion of polytetrafluoroethylene axillobifemoral bypass and Dacron axillobifemoral bypass was identical. The rate of occlusion in ringed reinforced grafts was lower (9%) than in the nonreinforced grafts (22%). The rate of occlusion was significantly higher after ablation of graft for occlusive lesions (38%) than after graft for aneurysms (7.9%) (p less than 0.01).