Which statement best describes infection risk with synthetic grafts?

• A. Thrombosis
• B. Infection (Most Synthetic Grafts)
• C. Aneurysm Formation
• D. Pseudoaneurysm

Answer: (B)

Infection is the chief concern with synthetic vascular grafts because the graft material is a foreign surface that can harbor bacteria and promote biofilm formation. Once bacteria adhere to the graft, they’re hard to eradicate with antibiotics alone, and infection can lead to graft failure, sepsis, or the need to remove and replace the graft. This makes infection a particularly serious and often most feared complication of synthetic grafts.

Thrombosis, aneurysm formation, and pseudoaneurysm are important graft-related problems, but they aren’t the infection risk itself. Thrombosis relates to flow and patency issues; aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm reflects vessel wall or graft integrity problems, sometimes related to infection but not the inherent infection risk the graft presents.