Gentamycin beads in the treatment of localised vascular graft infection--long term results in 17 cases.

Seventeen patients were treated by the implantation of gentamycin beads for localised Szilagyi type III prosthetic graft infection. Three patients had a pan prosthetic infection and half of the remaining patients were cured, but three of these died from other causes within 3 months. The mean observation time of the four survivors was 20 months (7-39 months). One of the seven patients, in whom the gentamycin beads failed, died of infection, giving a total mortality rate of 6% (1.5-29%). The remaining patients were cured after resection of the infected segment of the prosthesis at a mean follow-up of 22 months (8-37 months).