Surgical treatment of graft infection combined with aortoesophageal fistula after TEVAR: a retrospective single-center, single-arm study.

Objective: Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) secondary to thoracic aortic endovascular repair (TEVAR) is rare and fatal. The author reports the treatment methods and outcomes of 10 patients with a TEVAR graft infection and an aortoesophageal fistula.

Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 10 patients who developed a secondary AEF and a graft infection after TEVAR from March 2018 to March 2024.

Result: The perioperative mortality rate was 70%. Two patients had TEVAR only and all died of bleeding and infection. Eight patients underwent open surgery, five died within 30 days, four of them died due to massive bleeding, the one patient died of a serious infection after surgery. Three patients recovered well and were discharged. One patient died of severe pneumonia 3 months after discharge, and two patients survived for 6 years and 3 months, respectively.

Conclusion: Extra-anatomical bypass reconstruction is feasible for treating graft infection combined with aortoesophageal fistula after TEVAR but related to bad outcomes in most of the patients. It is reserved for highly select patients and is performed at centers with experience with this procedure.