Herpes wound infection after femoral endarterectomy

Wound infection after common femoral endarterectomy is a well-documented phenomenon leading to significant morbidity, especially in the setting of a prosthetic graft. A push has recently been made in the literature for salvage of the prosthetic graft using debridement, antibiotics, and vacuum-assisted closure therapy. Herein we present the case of wound infection after common femoral endarterectomy with bovine patch angioplasty initially presumed to be of bacterial origin that failed to respond to vacuum-assisted closure therapy until the viral nature of the pathogen was discovered. The patient will continue lifelong valacyclovir for suppressive therapy.