title: [Complications in brachial plexus surgery].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although traumatic brachial plexus injuries are relatively rare in trauma patients, their effects on the functionality of the upper limb can be very disabling. The authors' objective was to assess the complications in a series of patients operated for brachial plexus injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective evaluation of patients operated on by the authors between August 2009 and March 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed 36 surgeries on 33 patients. The incidence of complications was 27.7%. Of these, only 1 (2.7%) was considered serious and associated with the procedure (iatrogenic injury of brachial artery). There was another serious complication (hypoxia in patients with airway injury) but it was not directly related to the surgical procedure. All other complications were considered minor (wound dehiscence, hematoma, infection). There was no mortality in our series.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The complications in our series are similar to those reported in the literature. Serious complications (vascular, neural) are rare and represent less than 5% in all the different series. Given the rate of surgical complications and the poor functional perspective for a brachial plexus injury without surgery, we believe that surgery should be the treatment of choice.
authors.affiliation: Policlínica de Patología de Nervios Periféricos, Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. Electronic address: fermartneuro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Policlínica de Patología de Nervios Periféricos, Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pinazzo
authors.affiliation: Policlínica de Patología de Nervios Periféricos, Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moragues
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Fisiatría, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suarez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Brachial plexus; Cirugía; Complicaciones; Complications; Plexo braquial; Surgery