Conservative treatment of an early aortic graft infection due to Acinetobacter baumanii

Abstract

Acute infection of an aortic graft is a devastating complication. While resection of the infected prosthesis and extra-anatomic bypass is the established treatment, this carries a high mortality. We describe a case of early aortic graft infection with the unusual organism Acinetobacter baumanii, which was eradicated by a combination of surgical drainage and antibiotics, allowing preservation of the graft. The patient remains well 30 months later.