[Primary and secondary aorto-intestinal fistula in infrarenal aortic replacement]

During the past 20 years 17 patients with abdominal-aortic-intestinal fistulas have been operated in our department. Hospital-letality accounted till 1986 with 75%. Since then we preferred direct reconstruction by implantation of a vascular graft, covered by omentum in primary fistulas. Hospital letality could be reduced by this management to 0% in primary fistulas by a total survival rate of 67%.