Bovine Pericardium as New Technical Option for In Situ Reconstruction of Aortic Graft Infection

Alloplastic aortic graft infection is a devastating complication following aortic surgery. It is associated with excessively high mortality and morbidity caused by anastomotic rupture or septicemia. Many authors consider in situ replacement after complete surgical graft removal as the method of choice. However, there is an ongoing debate about the most suitable material for reconstruction. We present our first experiences with replacing the descending and infrarenal aorta using custom-made bovine pericardium grafts.