Human gelatin thrombin matrix with rifampin for the treatment of prosthetic vascular graft infections

Abstract

We aim to describe and report on a novel graft preservation technique using a human gelatin thrombin matrix with rifampin for the treatment of vascular graft infections. Eight patients with vascular graft infections were included, one with bilateral infections, for a total of nine cases from January 2016 through June 2021. All the patients underwent wound exploration and placement of human gelatin thrombin matrix with rifampin. No deaths or allergic reactions had been reported at the 30-day follow-up, with only one major amputation. The graft and limb salvage rates were 77.8% at the 1-year follow-up. The mean time to a major amputation was 122 days, and the mean time to graft excision was 30 days.

Keywords

• Bioabsorbable antibiotics
• Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts
• HGTM
• Human thrombin-gelatin matrix
• Prosthetic graft infections
• Rifampin