Antibiotic-impregnated beads for the treatment of aortic graft infection.

Infection of a prosthetic graft after replacement of the ascending aorta is an uncommon but life-threatening complication of surgery. We report the use of antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate beads in a patient with ascending aortic graft infection to provide localized, high-dose therapy to the infected region. Perigraft placement of antibiotic beads provides an alternative method for the treatment of aortic graft infection.