Anaesthesia for vascular surgery of the upper limb

Abstract

Vascular surgery on the upper limb is much less common than on the lower extremity. Upper limb ischaemia is much less common than lower limb ischaemia; in part this is because of the presence of a good collateral circulation around the shoulder. Acute upper limb ischaemia is a real emergency as the ischaemic tolerance of upper limb is much less than the lower limb. In this article we will discuss the management of acute and chronic upper limb ischaemia, thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), and vascular access surgery for renal dialysis.