İsolated Subclavlan Artery lnjuries: Four Case Report

Subclavian artery injury is seldom an isolated event. 4 male patients, 3 with penetrat•ing, 1 with blunt travma were operated between 1992-1994 in our clinic. Three patients with penetrating trauma were taken to the operating room emergently due to massive bleeding. The patient with blunt trauma was operated after angiogram. in 3 aut of 4 pati• ents, proximal subclavian artery was injured. Median sternotomy in two patients and left posterolateral thoracotomy in one patient was done for proximal control. Due to delay in transportation one patient developed cardiopulmonary arrest and was taken to the operating room under cardiopulmonary resuscitation (pH: 6.7 Base deficid: -32), emergent left to• racotomy was done ta control bleeding and then the operation continued. There is no mortality in this series. One pati• ent developed hydrothorax in late postoperative period. Another patient with motor deficit of his left arm due to brachial plexus injury did not show any improvement neurologically.