[Preliminary experience with biological omental investment as a therapeutic procedure for infected lesions in vascular surgery].

Description of 8 patients, demonstrating deep infections following vascular reconstructive procedures. The classical method of treating these consists of removing all foreign material and circumventing the lesion by extra-anatomic bypass. A long extra-anatomic conduit needs a good run-off, therefore alternative methods of treatment are sometimes indicated, e.g. transposition of the omentum. In 8 instances healthy omentum was used to cover the infected conduit in order to preserve the reconstruction and to obtain healing of the wound. The procedure was successfully employed in 4 cases. Solitary infections healed without complications (3 patients). Out of 5 patients showing the catastrophic sequence of events - infection plus exsanguinating hemorrhage - only one was managed successfully.