Outcomes of Surgery for Endograft Infection in the Abdominal Aorta and Iliac Artery: A Nationwide Cohort Study

This study aimed to clarify the clinical features, postoperative outcomes, and prognostic factors in patients with endograft infection in the abdominal aorta and iliac artery.

Endograft infection in the abdominal aorta and iliac artery is a potentially fatal condition. However, due to its rarity, clinical characteristics and optimal treatment strategy remain to be established.

In this nationwide retrospective cohort study, we investigated 112 patients who underwent surgical treatment for endograft infection in the abdominal aorta and/or iliac artery between 2011 and 2017 using a Japanese clinical registry. We examined the relationships between the preoperative and operative factors and the outcomes after surgery including persistent or recurrent infection related to the endograft and 90-day and 3-year mortality.

The median period between the index endograft placement and surgery for infection was 369.5 days. Persistent or recurrent endograft-related infection occurred in 34 patients (30.4%). The cumulative overall survival rates at 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years were 90.2%, 76.5%, 66.7%, 50.9%, and 31.5%, respectively. Partial removal or total preservation of the infected endograft was independently associated with short-term and late mortality. Preoperative anemia and imaging findings suggestive of fistula development to the gastrointestinal tract also showed an independent association with late mortality.

Surgical intervention for endograft infection in the abdominal aorta and iliac artery was associated with a high risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Total removal of the infected endograft should be attempted because partial removal or total preservation can lead to a poor prognosis.