Methicillin‑sensitive Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic vascular graft infection after a Fontan procedure in an adult patient: A case report

Heart infections are not limited to infectious endocarditis. In fact, prosthetic vascular graft infections are among the most severe complications associated with vascular and cardiac surgery. The risk of developing an infection on prosthetic material is estimated to be ~5%. The mortality rate associated with the infection is estimated to be ~10‑25% within 30 days of infection and 50% after 1 year. The present article describes a case of a methicillin‑sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infection on the prosthetic material following a heart Fontan procedure. To the best of our knowledge, only one other case of extracardiac prosthesis‑related infection following Fontan surgery has been reported to date in adults. Prosthetic vascular graft infections (PVGIs) are a rare complication of heart surgery. However, PVGIs can seldomly occur and are burdened by a decreased survival rate. Therefore, physicians need to promptly suspect and recognize such cases. Further studies are required however, in order to determine the feasibility and long‑term survival rates of a conservative therapeutic approach.