Thoracic Aortic Graft Salvage after Sternal Wound Infection with Antibiotic Beads and Flap Coverage

Infections involving thoracic aortic grafts are difficult to treat and have devastating consequences. The traditional approaches to surgical management include aggressive debridement with graft explantation and replacement. Despite treatment, the reported morbidity and mortality rates are high. The purpose of this study was to present our experience with an innovative approach to aortic graft salvage in the setting of sternal wound infection using antibiotic impregnated polymethylmethacrylate beads followed by definitive wound closure with flap coverage. A retrospective review identified patients with surgical wounds after aortic graft or cardiac valve placement over a 7-year period at a single institution. Patients were treated using an algorithm consisting of repeated surgical debridement and placement of antibiotic beads followed by flap coverage after suppression of the infection. A total of 20 patients were treated for surgical wounds, including 19 sternal and one thoracotomy wound. Culture positive surgical site infections were documented in 16 patients. One patient required a bead exchange before definitive closure. There were no in-hospital mortalities. All but two patients achieved successful infection suppression and wound closure with flap coverage. The use of antibiotic beads with serial debridement and flap closure may offer a valid option for aortic graft salvage in the setting of infected sternal wounds in the appropriate patient population. The proposed algorithm showed that patients may be successfully treated, and their infection suppressed without the need for graft removal. Mortality rates were lower from those previously reported in the literature.