Penetran Ekstremite Travmalı Hastalarda Vasküler Yaralanmalar ve Sonuçları

Objective: In the past, routine unnecessary emergency exploration was performed in patients with deep penetrating extremity trauma. Low incidence of this type of trauma in Western Europe makes it difficult for trauma surgeons to gain experience. Different operative techniques and clinical results of vascular traumas were analysed in civil patients by different clinics. We aimed to evaluate vascular injury rate, and the results of penetrating extremity trauma in our region. Material and Methods: A total of 11,568 patients who admitted to emergency department of our hospital in 2013 were analyzed, and 408 patients admitted with penetrating extremity trauma were included in the study. Results: Major vascular injury in the extremity due to penetrating trauma was found in 52 (43 males, 83%) of 408 penetrating extremity trauma patients. The mean age of the patients was 36.32±20.57 years (range: 6-76 years). A total of 27 patients underwent computed tomographic angiography to evaluate the vascular integrity. Conclusion: Our findings showed that gunshot wounds were the most common causes of vascular injury associated with penetrating extremity trauma in our region. If possible, traumatized major vascular structures, particularly all the major arteries should be repaired as soon as possible in case of peripheral vascular injury.