The presence of infection in a vascular prosthesis usually necessitates its removal. When the graft is still patent collaterals have no time to develop and limb perfusion following its removal cannot be predicted.
We present a case in which an infected axillo-femoral graft was gradually occluded over a period of six days using a Silastic loop snare with Doppler control. Peripheral perfusion was satisfactory following graft thrombosis and it was subsequently removed without revascularisation.
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