How to manage infected aortic endografts.

Aortic endografts have become the preferred treatment for aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta and the infrarenal aorta. The prevalence of endograft infections is about 0.6%, and with the growing number of patients with aortic endografts, the number of patients with endograft infections has also increased. It is important for physicians who treat aneurysmal disease with endografting to understand the pathophysiology, work-up, and treatment options available. Currently, the mainstay of treatment is prolonged antibiotic therapy, explant of all prosthetic material, and reconstruction of the vasculature with either an in situ or extra-anatomic bypass. However, there is a growing experience of less invasive treatment strategies that can be used in patients who cannot withstand an operation of this magnitude.