Invited commentary

Abstract

Groin wound complications after vascular reconstruction can be devastating problems. The importance of the current study is that the authors investigate one factor involved in wound healing: the potential that the incision itself may compromise the arterial blood supply to the wound, which in turn may reduce oxygenation to the wound tissue. Detailed anatomic information regarding the blood supply to the femoral triangle is presented, and the authors have shown that a standard vertical incision used to expose the common femoral artery may injure cutaneous branches, primarily those originating from the superficial epigastric and circumflex iliac arteries. They suggest that alternatively placed incisions might reduce the risk of injury to these vessels and as a result better preserve arterial flow and potentially improve wound healing. As the authors suggest in their report, clinical correlation is needed to confirm that the incision used to expose the femoral artery puts the cutaneous blood supply of the femoral triangle at risk for injury, and if injured, is associated with a higher incidence of wound complications and lower tissue oxygenation. It is important to note that the etiology of groin wound complications is multifactorial. The role of other factors that may contribute to groin wound complications, such as infection, tissue necrosis, injury to lymphatics, and obesity, among others, also needs further investigation. Such future investigations will undoubtedly make use of and build upon the information presented in the current study. Cutaneous vascularization of the femoral triangle in respect to groin incisionsJournal of Vascular SurgeryVol. 64Issue 3PreviewThe purpose of this anatomic study was to describe the cutaneous vascularization of the femoral triangle and its variation to evaluate the potential consequences of the classic incisions used in vascular surgery. The ultimate goal was to suggest surgical approaches that would take into account the vascularization of the inguinal region to potentially reduce the vascular lesions and wound complications at the groin. Full-Text PDF Open Archive