The Medical Center of University of Texas-Southwestern (UT-S) said in a recent release that the neo-aortoiliac system (NAIS) – a technique in which infected aortic grafts are replaced with the body’s own veins – is not only more durable than the exiting procedures relying on synthetic or cadaver grafts, but is also less prone to fresh infections.

Aortic graft infections are reportedly one of the most serious complications that affect patients who undergo aortic grafting procedures for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and aortic aneurysms. While the former lessens blood circulation in the pelvis and lower body parts; the latter dangerously rupture the largest artery, aorta.

About the effectiveness of the NAIS technique, its pioneer G. Patrick Clagett, UT-S’ chief of vascular surgery, said: “This operation has gained favor worldwide in the treatment of this devastating condition.”

With the first NAIS surgery being conducted in the 1990s, Clagett added that the accumulated data over the years has substantiated that this procedure is clearly “far superior in overall patient outcomes.”

In the UT-S release, published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, Dr. Clagett and his colleagues reported that the NAIS procedure was conducted on 187 patients of aortic graft infections from
1990 to 2006 at UT-S.

It was found that there were lesser re-infections resulting from the procedure, as well as better durability and appreciably lower long-term amputation rates, vis-à-vis other techniques for treating aortic graft infections.