[The use of silver/collagen coated vascular prostheses in infected environment].

The purpose of this study is to evaluate of the use of and silver-coated medical prosthesis in cases of the massive vascular graft infection. In this paper the use of silver-coated medical prosthesis (29 patients) of massive dacron graft infection in Departament of Vascular, General and Transplantation Surgery In Wroclaw University of Medicine In the years 1999-2004 is presented. For lack of tissue material and because of the exclusion of extraanatomic bypass application, in situ replacement was attempted using silver-coated dacron vascular prosthesis more resistant to infection. Before and after the surgery in all patients imaging studies were performed. Duplex-Doppler Ultrasound demonstrated perigraft fluid collections and the scintigraphy with use of Technetium-labeled leukocytes revealed vast migration to the infected prosthesis. The remission of the symptoms of infection was obtained. In the postoperative follow up no perigraft fluid collections were observed. In the most cases positive clinical effect was obtained, the scintigraphy of implanted graft revealed its infection. Because the scintigraphy disclosed Technetium-labeled leukocytes vast migration to the implanted graft, the application of silver coated medical prosthesis should be very cautious and limited to the critical states.