Abstract
BACKGROUND: Infection of vascular grafts after aortic revascularization surgery is a serious complication with high morbidity and mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine reinfection incidence in patients undergoing surgical intervention for infected aortic bypass grafts and identify key risk factors in the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines. Three electronic databases, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were used to search studies published after January 1, 2000, that assessed reinfection rates following surgical intervention for infected aortic bypass grafts. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed to calculate pooled incidence of major outcomes. RESULTS: Our systematic review included 30 studies with a total of 2,341 patients. Overall reinfection rate was 12.7% (95% CI: 8.6%-16.9%). In terms of morbidity 34.1% had acute kidney injury, 23.8% needed amputation, and 29.4% developed acute limb ischemia. The 30-day mortality rate was 27.8% (95% CI: 13.2%-42.4%).The medical approach to treatment varied significantly, however, the majority involved total removal of the infected prosthesis. The main microorganisms isolated in primary infections were mostly Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species, with a notable representation of gram-negative bacteria. CONCLUSION: Reinfection rates after surgical treatment of infected aortic bypass grafts were relatively high and constitute a challenge of high clinical impact. This is further demonstrated by the high 30-day mortality rate. The significant variation in treatment approaches observed above also highlights the lack of formalized management protocols. Further studies are needed to determine the best surgical approach and patient-related risk factors to optimize outcomes in this difficult population.