Extremity vascular trauma. A 7-year experience in Lahore, Pakistan.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the outcome of various techniques of vascular repair in terms of repair related complications and limb salavagibility.


METHODS
From January 1999 to December 2005, this retrospective study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. The patients, who underwent various surgical interventions for extremity vascular trauma, were included in this study. Those, who underwent primary amputation due to non-salvageable injuries or who presented with late complications of vascular injuries were excluded.


RESULTS
Ninety-three patients underwent different surgical procedures for extremity vascular trauma. Majority of the patients were young, (mean, 29.4 years) male (91.3%). Penetrating trauma was the most common mode of injury (77.4%). The median time interval between injury and repair was 4.5 hours. Superficial femoral artery was the most frequently injured artery (26.8%). Graft repair was carried out in 41 patients (46.6%), while (34.1%) of the patients had end-to-end anastomosis. Wound infection was the most common complication (18.2%). Seven patients (7.5%) had secondary amputations and 3 (3.2%) died from other injuries. Vascular reconstruction was successful in 89.3% of the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Early revascularization by employing simple repair or interposition autogenous vein graft repair results in successful limb salvage with acceptable complication rate.
Hussain
Muhammad I
MI
Department of General Surgery, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. ibrarme@yahoo.com
Zahid
Muhammad
M
Khan
Abdul-Waheed
AW
Askri
Hasan
H
Khan
AbulFazal A
AA
D000328:Adult; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000293:injuries*; D005121:Extremities / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery