Retrospective case review of a single center.
Between January 1994 and December 2008, 545 patients with infrarenal aortoiliac aneurysms underwent surgery at our institution. Among these cases, 13 (2.4 % ) were classified as primary infected aneurysms. Seven were located in the infrarenal aorta and 6 were located in the iliac artery. The identified pathogens were Salmonella species (n = 2), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (n = 2), and others. Systemic antibiotics were administered preoperatively to control septic conditions. At the time of surgery, 4 (31 % ) aneurysms had ruptured already. All but 2 cases, which were treated with extra-anatomic bypass, were repaired in situ using a Dacron graft. Although no in-hospital deaths occurred among the 3 patients who underwent planned surgery after successful control of septic conditions, 4 of 8 patients who underwent emergency surgery under septic conditions died during the early postoperative period. No signs of persistent or recurrent infection have been observed in our surviving patients with a mean follow-up of 40 months.
Timely surgical intervention after controlling sepsis provided excellent outcomes, whereas the mortality rate of patients with sepsis or rupture was still high. Debridement of periaortic-infected tissue and in situ prosthetic graft repair are feasible.