[Septic complications in vascular surgery: operative treatment and results (author's transl)]

The treatment of infection after vascular operations depends on the severity and extent of this complication. In infections of low virulence an attempt to prevent progression of the infectious involvement should be made with the help of antibiotics and immobilization. Suppurating infection involving a vascular graft but not yet causing bleeding can be treated successfully by drainage and antibiotic irrigation. In case of bleeding at the site of an infected anastomosis it is sometimes possible to prevent further bleeding and to cure the infection by wrapping omentum round the anastomactic lines. Severe infection and repeated hemorrhage require sacrifice of the reconstructed vessel to prevent loss of limb and even life: arteries reconstructed with the use of autogenous material must be ligated; any implanted synthetic material has to be removed. In these cases limb salvage can be accomplished using a remote bypass (axillo-femoral bypass, obturator-bypass, crossed bypass, etc.).