Treatment of Vascular Injuries in War Wounds of the Extremities

Abstract

Summary: In contrast to civilian-type vascular injuries, the battlefield has posed a major challenge to surgeons treating extremity vascular injuries in field conditions. Demands of triage, adverse external environment, and limited resources have to be considered in planning the type of surgery required to treat the often complex vascular and associated injuries caused by modern weapons of war. Moreover, nonvascular surgeons' awareness of the more common vascular reconstruction techniques and their indications and complications is important to achieve a high level of success in treating these difficult injuries.