Coverage of exposed vascular conduits.

When a vascular conduit becomes exposed, it is generally thought that if it is not already infected, it will soon become so. The most comprehensive treatment would be removal of the prosthesis, debridement of the wound, and extraanatomic bypass. Occasionally, however, extraanatomic bypass cannot be done. In such cases, local measures, such as skin grafting or skin flap coverage, may be used. Our two cases illustrate that these procedures can, on occasion, provide long-term coverage of exposed vascular conduits.