The role of vascular surgery in intraoperative emergency consultations

Abstract

Aim: Vascular surgery is an important part of the multidisciplinary approach to surgical treatments, and vascular surgeons are often called on intraoperatively to provide immediate assistance to their colleagues. Our aim was to describe the extent of assistance provided during emergency intraoperative consultations at a single tertiary academic centre. Material and Methods: We reviewed the records of patients who were consulted intraoperatively in our hospital over a period of approximately 4 years (January 1, 2017-December 31, 2020) and organized the data collected. Results: 40 emergency intraoperative consultations were identified. 55% of the patients were female, with an average age of 48.83 years. The most frequently consulted subspecialty was obstetrics and gynecology (32%). Index cases were elective/nonurgent (90%), most involving tumor resection (77.5%). The primary reason for vascular consultation was revascularization (37.5%). The primary blood vessel and anatomic field of intervention were categorized. Most cases (50%) included preservation of blood flow, including primary arterial repair (20%) and ligation of the bleeding vessels (20%) in the first choice. Postoperative mean length of stay was 13 days, with a 30-day mortality of 5.1%. Conclusion: Using a wide variety of skills and techniques, vascular surgeons strive to respond to urgent open surgical consultations in various anatomical sites. Our study provides evidence to the wide range of knowledge and skills required for modern vascular surgeons and the place of the subspecialty in the core services offered in a multidisciplinary approach.