Infected endovascular graft secondary to coil embolization of endoleak: a demonstration of the importance of operative sterility

Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Narrative Review

Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) has evolved as minimally invasive method of treating infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) with perioperatively mortality of less than 1% compared with 5% with open AAA repair as suggested by many randomized control trials. Computed tomography angiography is the imaging of choice for appropriate selection of a patient with EVAR. For patients with unsuitable anatomy, advanced EVARs techniques, such as fenestrated, branch, and chimney EVARs, are also increasingly being offered to patients with equal success. Patients with ruptured AAA are treated with this minimally invasive procedure. Percutaneous EVAR emerged with less of wound-related complications. Endoleaks are the most common complications peculiar to this procedure, and most are preventable by preoperative planning. They are detected on completion angiogram or on the surveillance imaging. This review discusses indications of EVAR, its selection criteria, procedural steps, and common complications associated with this procedure and advanced EVARs.

Endovascular Graft Infection: Preliminary Results of an International Enquiry

Purpose:

To investigate the frequency of aortoiliac endovascular graft infections and seek the main factors influencing their development.

Methods:

To augment personal experience (1 case), a questionnaire was sent to 40 international centers of vascular and endovascular surgery. The literature was also reviewed to collect data on infections developing in endovascular grafts.

Results:

The survey (85% response rate) and literature review identified 62 cases of infected endovascular grafts (0.4% frequency of endograft infection). In 22 (35%) patients, the infection manifested initially with vague symptoms only, but 41 (65%) patients eventually presented with abdominal abscess, groin fistula, and septic embolization. Common bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, were identified as the cause of most infections (54.5%). The majority (49, 79%) of the 62 patients were treated surgically; 11 (17.7%) patients received conservative therapy (no therapeutic data in 2 patients). Overall mortality was 27.4% (17/62), and operative mortality was 16.3% (8/49). Conservative treatment led to a mortality rate of 36.4% (4/11). The mean follow-up for all patients was 47.8 weeks. Possible factors influencing the development of an infection were secondary adjunctive procedures, immunosuppression, treatment of false aneurysms, and infected central lines.

Conclusions:

Infected endovascular grafts are an urgent problem that has been heretofore underestimated and will probably increase as follow-up lengthens. New techniques should be sought to expedite the diagnosis, and an international registry should be set up to provide validated data.

Pelvic abscess following internal iliac artery embolization prior to endovascular aneurysm repair

We describe a previously unreported case of abscess formation around the right internal iliac artery (IIA) after coil embolization prior to endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). A 75-year-old man was admitted for elective repair of a right common iliac aneurysm. The right IIA coil embolization and EVAR procedures were uncomplicated and assessment by postoperative computed tomography (CT) was satisfactory. The patient was readmitted 2 weeks after EVAR with right buttock pain and pyrexia. CT indicated an isolated abscess around the coil-embolized IIA. The patient was successfully treated with CT-guided percutaneous drainage.

Clostridium septicum post-endovascular aneurysm repair stent-graft infection

Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is establishing its role as a valid alternative for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Post-EVAR graft infection is a rare and devastating complication. The incidence of post-EVAR graft infection is yet to be defined, and available data at this stage consist of case reports and small series. Possible etiologies for aortic stent-graft infection include perioperative contamination and hematogenous seeding. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of post-EVAR stent graft infection with Clostridium septicum. The possible mechanisms of this unusual hematogenous seeding have been discussed.

Infecção em endoprótese

A infecção envolvendo endopróteses é uma complicação pouco frequente, associada a elevadas taxas de mortalidade. A apresentação clínica é geralmente tardia, podendo variar de sintomas inespecíficos até complicações graves como pseudoaneurisma e fístula aortoentérica. O diagnóstico envolve alto índice de suspeição e investigação com exames de imagem e laboratoriais. O tratamento segue os preceitos da infecção de prótese em cirurgia convencional, indicando-se, para a maioria dos pacientes, a excisão cirúrgica acompanhada da revascularização in situ ou extra-anatômica. O tratamento conservador fica reservado para casos selecionados.

Percutaneous Drainage of Aortic Aneurysm Sac Abscesses Following Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

Purpose: To report preliminary experiences with the treatment of aortic aneurysm sac abscesses following prior endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) using computerized tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous drainage. Case Reports: Three patients aged 73 to 78 years with aortic aneurysm sac infections following prior EVAR, 2 of which were associated with aortoduodenal fistula, underwent CT-guided percutaneous drainage and catheter placement. One patient had complete resolution of the aortic aneurysm sac abscess following percutaneous drainage; 1 patient was stabilized to eventual extraanatomic bypass, graft explantation, and fistula repair; and 1 patient was temporized to debridement and fistula repair with endograft preservation. Conclusion: CT-guided percutaneous drainage may be a helpful therapy in selected patients for the treatment of aortic aneurysm sac infections following EVAR.

Early Endovascular Coiling of Posterior Communicating Artery Saccular Aneurysm in the Setting of Staphylococcus Bacteremia

OBJECTIVE

Although infectious complications of endovascular aneurysm treatment are in general rare, platinum coil therapy for patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms and active bacteremia could be expected to carry increased risk. The literature on the timing and safety of endovascular treatment in this setting, however, is limited. In this report, the authors present a case of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and active bacteremia in which intravenous antibiotics and early endovascular therapy were successfully used. A review of the literature is also provided.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

A 79-year-old woman presented with Hunt-Hess grade 4, Fisher grade 3 + 4 subarachnoid hemorrhage. Blood cultures obtained on admission revealed gram-positive cocci, which later proved to be coagulase-negative Staphylococcus.

INTERVENTION

Intravenous cefepime and vancomycin were begun soon after admission. A right posterior communicating artery saccular aneurysm was identified on diagnostic cerebral angiography and was treated with bare platinum coils 28 hours after antibiotic therapy was initiated. An extended course of vancomycin was completed. No intracranial infectious complications were noted at 34-month clinical and radiographic follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This is the first case report to document the efficacy and safety of early endovascular coil embolization of a ruptured saccular cerebral aneurysm presenting in the context of active bacteremia. Review of the available literature suggests that a similar strategy for ruptured infectious aneurysms may also be safe. Further validation of this approach for both saccular and infectious aneurysms, however, is required.

Aortic Endograft Infection: Open Surgical Management with Endograft Preservation

INTRODUCTION

We report successful management of aortic endograft infection without graft explantation or extra-anatomic bypass.

REPORT

A 66 year-old male who had undergone endovascular repair of an aortic aneurysm presented with abdominal pain and raised inflammatory markers following embolisation of a type-2 'endoleak'. CT scanning revealed a left psoas fluid collection. Endograft infection was diagnosed. Following failure of CT-guided drainage and conservative management, surgical drainage with irrigation drain placement was undertaken with preservation of the endograft. There was no evidence of recurrent infection after follow-up at 30 months.

DISCUSSION

Aortic endograft infection may be managed without endograft removal and extra-anatomic bypass.

Infections related to coils used for embolization of arteries: review of the published evidence

The embolization of arteries with the use of coils has been an advance in the management of patients such as those at risk for aneurysm rupture. However, this procedure is not without complications. A systematic review was undertaken to evaluate the available evidence regarding infectious complications directly related to endovascular coil embolization. Seven case reports of patients who experienced infection related to coils used for embolization of arteries were discovered. Arteries embolized with coils in these patients were intracranial, intraabdominal, and intrathoracic, respectively, in four, two, and one case. Abscess formation in the area of coil placement (n = 6; 85.7%) was the most common infectious complication directly related to endovascular coil embolization. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant isolated pathogen (n = 3; 42.9%). Other isolated pathogens included Salmonella species type D (n = 1; 14.3%), S. epidermidis (n = 1; 14.3%), Escherichia coli (n = 1; 14.3%), and Bacteroides fragilis (n = 1; 14.3%). Surgical procedures were performed in four of the seven patients described (57.1%), and three patients were treated with only the administration of antimicrobial agents. All reviewed patients were cured. Even though it may partially be a result of reporting bias, the scarcity of reports describing infections directly related to endovascular coils despite the increasing number of patients who received this treatment in various parts of the world suggests that infectious complications associated with this foreign endovascular material are very rare. However, the existence of the identified case reports suggests that clinicians should include coil-related infection in the differential diagnosis of patients with fever after this procedure.

Neoaortic Reconstruction for Aortic Graft Infection: Need for Endovascular Adjunctive Therapies?

Neoaortic reconstruction using an autogenous conduit is an increasingly accepted option for the management of aortic graft infections. However, this approach is not without technical challenges and potential graft-related problems, some of which can be solved with endovascular techniques. All patients who underwent neoaortic reconstruction with femoral-popliteal vein for aortic graft infection over a 6-year period were identified from the operative registry. Those patients requiring endovascular adjunctive therapies form the basis of this report. Of 17 cases of neoaortic reconstruction for aortic graft infection, five (29%) required endovascular adjunctive procedures. These included stent placement for graft stenosis (n = 3), stent graft placement for proximal anastomotic stenosis (n = 1), and stent graft placement for anastomotic disruption (n = 1). While two of these procedures occurred within 30 days of the original neoaortic reconstruction, three were required during late follow-up. Although there were no direct complications related to the endovascular procedures, the patient with anastomotic disruption died within 30 days of causes unrelated to the endovascular procedure. Primary patency of neoaortic reconstruction was 87% at 30 days and 61% at 3 years, with assisted primary patency increasing to 100% at 3 years after endovascular adjunctive intervention. While neoaortic reconstruction using an autogenous conduit for aortic graft infection has proven durability, it is not without potential early and late graft complications. When graft problems occur, endovascular options are an attractive alternative to reoperative open aortic procedures, especially in the setting of a vastly altered surgical field.

Chemical Meningitis after Cerebral Aneurysm Treatment Using Two Second-generation Aneurysm Coils: Report of Two Cases

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE:

In the quest for effective and durable endovascular aneurysm treatment, second-generation aneurysm coils endeavor to increase the biological healing response to the implanted material. We report two cases of large cerebral aneurysms treated concurrently with both available second-generation aneurysm coils and the subsequent development of symptomatic nonbacterial meningitis.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION:

Two previously healthy patients underwent endovascular treatment for large (≥2 cm) cerebral aneurysms. Both aneurysms were treated using multiple Hydrogel coils (MicroVention, Inc., Aliso Viejo, CA) and Matrix coils (Boston Scientific/Target, Fremont, CA). Careful aseptic technique was observed throughout each procedure, and prophylactic intravenous antibiotics were administered during the perioperative period to both patients. Treatment proceeded uneventfully in both cases with excellent aneurysm occlusion and no immediate postoperative neurological deficits.

INTERVENTION:

In both cases, the patients were discharged from hospital but quickly were readmitted with stigmata of meningitis. Imaging demonstrated durable occlusion of the aneurysms in both patients and also abnormalities indicative of perianeurysmal and diffuse intracranial inflammatory response. Complete septic workup failed to identify an organism in either patient. Both patients responded to treatment with corticosteroid medication used to modulate the inflammatory response induced by the coil implants.

CONCLUSION:

Second-generation aneurysm coils were developed to promote more durable occlusion of cerebral aneurysms by promoting more complete volumetric aneurysm occlusion or by eliciting a more prolific inflammatory response. The concurrent use of Hydrogel and Matrix coil systems in large aneurysms may cause an exuberant inflammatory response with both local and systemic manifestations. Although vigilant evaluation and treatment for presumptive bacterial meningitis is required in all such cases, patients respond to immunomodulatory therapy with corticosteroids. More information to understand better the interaction of Hydrogel and Matrix coils is needed.

Antibiotic prophylaxis in interventional radiology

Despite several decades of advances in both minimally invasive techniques and antibiotic therapy, infection remains one of the more common complications of invasive procedures. Interventional radiology (IR) has traditionally been believed to be associated with lower infection rates than surgery. However, new interventional techniques, as well as more aggressive therapeutic interventions, have presented new challenges in relation to pharmacological management of postprocedural infection and pain. The risk of infection associated with IR procedures can never be completely eliminated, and the reasons for this are manifold, including more virulent organisms, ongoing and newly emerging antibiotic resistance, increased numbers of immunocompromised patients, and the adoption into everyday interventional practice of more aggressive interventional techniques such as chemoembolization, uterine fibroid embolization, and complex biliary intervention. Despite the widespread use of prophylactic antibiotics in IR, and the widely held belief that they are beneficial and are the standard of care, randomized controlled clinical trials have never validated the use of antibiotics in this setting. As such, an argument could be made not to use antibiotics at all for prophylaxis in IR. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the issues relating to the use of prophylactic antibiotics, and what choice of antibiotics physicians make when they decide to use prophylaxis for IR procedures.

Aortoiliac stent graft infection: current problems and management

Aortic stent graft infection is uncommon. Most cases have been described anecdotaly in single-case reports. After observing one case in our experience, we decided to review the literature and contact centers performing endovascular aortic repair to determine the frequency, risk factors, and current treatment of stent graft infection. The literature was reviewed and the authors of identified articles were contacted for further information. In addition, 40 centers specializing in endovascular treatment were contacted by means a dedicated questionnaire. A total of 65 aortic stent graft infections were identified, including 43 reported cases and 22 previously unpublished cases that were observed at specialized centers. Stent grafts were implanted in the aorta in 50 cases and in the iliac artery in 15 cases. The frequency of infection was 0.43%. The gender ratio was 4:1 (M:F). Twenty-three percent of patients had immunodeficiency factors. Placement was performed in an interventional radiology suite in 62.5% of cases and in a sterile operating theater in 37.5%. Also, 35.5% of patients underwent other vascular procedures during the course of study and 29.2% stent grafts benefited from adjuvant endovascular procedures. Infection was classified as low grade in 35.4% of patients and high grade in 64.6%. Thirty-one percent of infections were associated with aortoenteric fistula. The offending microorganism was Staphylococcus aureus in 54.5% of cases. Treatment was conservative in 18% of cases and surgical in 82%. Surgical treatment consisted of stent graft removal followed by either extraanatomical bypass (59.5%) or in situ prosthetic reconstruction (40.5%). Mortality was 18% overall, 36.4% after conservative treatment and 14% after surgical treatment ( p = 0.083). Mortality was 16% after surgical treatment with extraanatomical bypass vs. 5.8% surgical treatment with in situ reconstruction. From these results we conclude that stent graft infection is an uncommon occurrence associated with poorly defined risk factors. Surgical treatment with complete excision of the infected stent graft followed by in situ reconstruction provides the best outcome. Establishment of a multicenter register to record such complications is needed to confirm the findings of this study.

Intra-arterial device infections

As an increasing number and variety of prosthetic devices are used in cardiovascular medicine, novel infectious complications have been described. Infection of intra-arterial devices, including arterial closure devices, prosthetic carotid patches, coronary artery stents and endovascular stents, and stent-grafts, is now being reported. Prosthetic vascular graft infection is an older, more common, and better-characterized entity, but recent developments in the surgical management of these infections have prompted a re-examination of the syndrome. Staphylococcal species account for most intra-arterial device infections, and often, morbidity and mortality rates are high. An update on intra-arterial device infections is warranted.

Percutaneous Drainage and Explantation of an Infected Aortic Endoluminal Stent Graft

Endoluminal repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has undergone explosive growth in the last decade. Although immediate benefits are attractive to both the patient and the treating physician, concerns regarding long-term success have dampened sustained enthusiasm for this technique. A rare but catastrophic complication is stent graft infection. This case report describes an early infection of an endoluminal aortic stent graft treated initially with percutaneous drainage and ultimately with staged extraanatomic bypass and graft explantation.