Clinical Trial of a Silver Eluting Dressing System

This prospective, multi-institutional randomized clinical trial of a silver ion eluting dressing material compared to standard dry gauze for closed skin incisions after open surgical revascularizations for peripheral vascular occlusive disease. Based on the ability of the silver to lower the bacterial contamination of these vulnerable surgical skin incisions, the investigators hypothesize that immediate application of Acticoat Absorbent® as a post-operative dressing will reduce closed incisional wound complications in patients undergoing lower extremity revascularizations involving infrainguinal skin incisions compared to standard non-silver eluting dressing material.