[Late complications after prosthetic aortic replacement]

Late complications following aortic graft replacement are rare. Within 5 years these severe complications have to be expected in about 1-3%. A staged but adequate treatment is necessary. If the renal arteries are included besides technical and anesthesiological experiences a refinement of vascular surgical technique is required. Nevertheless a high morbidity and mortality rate remains, depending on the expertise of the vascular surgeon, on an early and precise diagnosis as well as on the severity of additional organ diseases. Routine yearly ultrasound examinations following aortic graft replacement are recommended, to detect late complications before the events of rupture, graft enteric fistula or severe bleeding complications require extensive surgical procedures. Any vascular surgeon performing abdominal and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery has to be familiar with the basic diagnostic and therapeutic approaches managing late complications following aortic graft replacement.