The Selective Non-operative Management of Penetrating Cervical Venous Trauma is Safe and Effective.

BACKGROUND: This paper reviews our experience with penetrating cervical venous trauma and aims to validate the selective non-operative management (SNOM) of these injuries. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained registry. All patients presenting alive with an injury to the internal jugular vein, subclavian vein or innominate vein following a PNI were reviewed for a 6-year period. RESULTS: Among 817 patients admitted for the management of PNI, 76 (9.3%) had a venous injury. Of these, 37 (48.7%) patients were managed non-surgically, 20 (26.3%) required immediate surgical exploration, seven of whom had an associated arterial injury, and 19 (25%) underwent surgery following a diagnostic CTA, 16 of whom had an associated arterial or aero-digestive injury. In total, only 16 (21.1%) of the 76 patients required exploration for venous injury alone. The majority (63.2%) of patients had a history of severe bleeding or hemodynamic instability prior to arrival, but only 20 (26.3%) required immediate exploration. Two (2.6%) patients died as a result of venous injury. No patients developed complications related to the venous injury. CONCLUSIONS: SNOM is applicable to a well-defined subset of patients with isolated penetrating cervical venous trauma to the IJV and SCV identified on CTA.

A novel endovascular treatment for long-standing high-flow arteriovenous fistula.

We describe a novel use of an Amplatzer III plug device (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, Minn) in the treatment of a traumatic arteriovenous fistula between the innominate vein and the origin of the left common carotid artery causing symptomatic right heart failure. A review of the literature indicates this is the first case to describe the use of the Amplatzer III device in this way. We demonstrate immediate closure of fistula radiologically and complete symptomatic resolution at short-term follow-up.

Cardiopulmonary bypass standby avoids fatality due to vascular laceration in laser-assisted lead extraction.

OBJECTIVES: Vascular laceration is a rare but potentially fatal complication with excimer laser-assisted pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead extraction. We report our experience on management of vascular laceration during laser-assisted lead extraction. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 140 consecutive patients undergoing laser-assisted lead extraction from May 2004 to March 2011. Clinical outcomes were compared in patients with and without intraoperative vascular laceration. Risk factors were identified by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: All cases were performed in the operating room with cardiopulmonary bypass standby. Complete lead removal was achieved in 118 (84.3%) patients. Potentially fatal complications occurred in five patients (3.6%) who had superior vena cava and/or innominate vein laceration. Lacerated veins were repaired under emergency sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass. The mean time from vascular laceration to establishment of cardiopulmonary bypass was 6.0 ± 3.6 minutes. All five patients survived without neurological sequelae. The rates of dual-coil leads (80.0% vs. 31.9%, p=0.025) and history of lead revision (100.0% vs. 40.0%, p=0.008) were significantly higher in the five patients who had major vascular laceration than those who did not. Logistic regression showed that dual-coil implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead was an independent risk factor for vascular laceration (odds ratio 11.264, p=0.048). CONCLUSION: Cardiopulmonary bypass standby is helpful when performing laser-assisted lead extraction to treat potentially fatal vascular laceration. Dual-coil lead is an independent risk factor to predict intraoperative vascular laceration.

Hemodialysis catheter malposition induced by a brachiocephalic vein stenosed stent.

Malposition of a central venous hemodialysis catheter, mainly due to central vein stenosis or thrombosis, is not an uncommon complication. Herein, we present a rare cause of a left external jugular vein hemodialysis catheter, malpositioned into the ipsilateral internal jugular-subclavian venous route, due to a stenosed stent that has been placed into the ipsilateral brachiocephalic vein.

Brachiocephalic trunk and left brachiocephalic vein injuries following penetrating right sternoclavicular junction trauma: a case report.

A 46-year-old male sustained severe pe- netrating injury by a sharp instrument to his right upper sternoclavicular junction. The wound tract was from suprasternal notch to mediastinum. Exploratory operation via median sternotomy under general anesthesia found a large mediastinal septum hematoncus, as well as brachiocephalic trunk and left brachiocephalic vein injuries. The perforating vascular wounds were repaired with 5-0 prolene suture. He was recovered uneventfully and discharged 9 days after operation. There was no sequel found during 7 years follow-up.

[The avulsion of subclavian artery from brachiocephalic trunk and subclavian vein from right brachiocephalic vein with brachial plexus injury]. / Oderwanie tetnicy podobojczykowej od pnia ramienno-glowowego i zyly podobojczykowej od prawej zyly ramienno-glowowej z uszkodzeniem splotu ramiennego.

UNLABELLED: The detachment of subclavian artery from brachiocephalic trunk and subclavian vein from right brachiocephalic vein with brachial plexus injury. INTRODUCTION: Traumas of large vessels of mediastinal and shoulder girdle cause significant life risk and constitute serious diagnostic and therapeutic problems because of lack of time for accurate treatment planning. Particularly difficult to treat are blunt trauma of large arteries in patients under the influence of drugs or with a progressive hypovolemic shock. AIM: The aim of this dissertation is presenting my own experience in treating a seventeen-year-old motorcyclist who was under the influence of alcohol suffered a detachment of subclavian artery and subclavian vein from mediastinal large vessels following a traffic accident. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventeen-year-old motorcyclist who was under the influence of alcohol alcohol hit a concrete pole at a speed of 130 km/h. The patient was brought to the hospital in a state of hypovolemic shock, pulse 126/min, blood pressure 80/60 mmHg, without pulse on the right upper limb. The right upper limb was cold, without active movements, pressure and pain sense. The right shoulder was tumid. The right lung without audible murmurs. Pulses on carotid arteries were perceptible. The thoracic plain film x-ray showed a shading on right half of thorax, widening of the upper mediastinum, fracture of right clavicle and the rear right shoulder sprain. Passive movements in the right elbow were correct. The patient was taken to the operating theatre because of progressive hypovolemic shock and was operated in emergency regimen. The transverse thoracotomy was made by both the intercostals spaces between the second and third rib. The thoracotomy showed that subclavian artery from brachiocephalic trunk and subclavian vein from right brachiocephalic vein were detachment. The subclavian vein was ligated and the brachiocephalic vein was sewn (phleborrhaphy). The subclavian artery was connected with brachiocephalic trunk by a synthetic vascular graft so that the received pulse at the periphery of the upper limb. The thyrocervical trunk, costocervical trunk and damaged intercostal vessels at the first, second and third rib were also ligated. The sprained shoulder was set. During the operation, there was no sight that even one of fascicles of brachial plexus was interrupted. The next day pateint was reoperated because of hemorrhage to right pleura. The rest of intercostal vessels at the first, second and third rib were ligated. RESULTS: The postoperative course was uneventful surgery. After operation was found that ulnar and radial nerve were demaged. The right lung expansion was achieved, upper limb had pulse, wounds healed as needed. The patient was transferred to the neurosurgical treatment. CONCLUSION: The quick decision to conduct operations without accurate diagnosis was the only factor for patient survival.

Coronary sinus lead fragmentation and migration.

We report the case of a patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy who several years before underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy. He was admitted for surgical revision of the system due to coronary sinus lead failure. Percutaneous extraction of the lead was performed but an unusual complication related to the damaged lead occurred with relatively positive outcomes.

Vascular trauma in geriatric patients: a national trauma databank review.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of vascular injuries in the geriatric patient population has not been described. The purpose of this study was to examine nationwide data on vascular injuries in the geriatric patients and to compare this with the nongeriatric adult patients with respect to the incidence, injury mechanisms, and outcomes. METHODS: Geriatric patients aged 65 or older with at least one traumatic vascular injury were compared with an adult cohort aged 16 years to 64 years with a vascular injury using the National Trauma Databank version 7.0. RESULTS: During the study period, 29,736 (1.6%) patients with a vascular injury were identified. Of those, geriatric patients accounted for 7.6% (2,268) and the nongeriatric adult patients accounted for 83.1% (n=24,703). Compared with the nongeriatric adult patients, the geriatric vascular patients had a significantly higher Injury Severity Score (26.6±17.0 vs. 21.3±16.7; p<0.001) and less frequently sustained penetrating injuries (16.1% vs. 54.1%; p<0.001). The most commonly injured vessels in the elderly were vessels of the chest (n=637, 40.2%), including the thoracic aorta and innominate and subclavian vessels. The overall incidence of thoracic aorta injuries was significantly higher in geriatric patients (33.0% vs. 13.9%; p<0.001) and increased linearly with progressing age. After adjusting for confounding factors, geriatric patients demonstrated a fourfold increase in mortality following vascular injuries (adjusted odds ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 3.32-4.58; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Vascular trauma is rare in the geriatric patient population. These injuries are predominantly blunt, with the thoracic aorta being the most commonly injured vessel. Although vascular injuries occur less frequently than in the nongeriatric cohort, in the geriatric patient, vascular injury is associated with a fourfold increase in adjusted mortality.

[Successful life saving from brachiocephalic vein injury using cardiopulmonary bypass during video-assited thoracoscopic resection for a mediastinal tumor--a case report].

A 67-year-old man was scheduled for video-assited thoracoscopic resection of a mediastinal tumor under epidural and general anesthesia. During removal of the tumor about an hour 30 minutes after the start of the operation, pulseless electrical activity developed due to uncontrollable massive hemorrhage caused by laceration of the left brachiocephalic vein. After intravenous administration of epinephrine and fluid resuscitation, compatible red cell transfusion with a different ABO group and intraoperative autotransfusion were started. Hemodynamics was unstable although bleeding was stanched. Therefore, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was initiated about 2.5 hours after blanching had started. As a result, bleeding from the laceration was reduced, and the laceration was repaired. The patient recovered uneventfully and had no complications. CPB should be considered for cases of uncontrollable bleeding from a central vein and should be initiated as soon as possible.

Management of Brachiocephalic Vein Injury During Tubeless Subxiphoid Thoracoscopic Thymectomy.

We have reported the usefulness of the subxiphoid video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery approach in thymectomy. However, such a new method may have unknown complications that rarely occur. The brachiocephalic vein has been considered to be the vessel that is most frequently injured when performing thymectomy because of the skeletal anatomy. We herein report a case of intraoperative injury of brachiocephalic vein using tubeless subxiphoid thoracoscopic thymectomy. No additional complications have been found in the 3 months since the operation. Though subxiphoid video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery thymectomy is a safe and less invasive operation, intraoperative complications are possible, and surgeons should express caution.

Videothoracoscopic-guided management of a central vein perforation during hemodialysis catheter placement.

We present a case of the successful repair of an iatrogenic central vein lesion using a videothoracoscopic approach. The confluence of the right innominate vein and the superior vena cava was perforated during the placement of a right internal jugular vein long-term dialysis catheter. The misplacement of the tips of the catheter in the right pleural space was promptly observed. The catheter was removed under pleural videothoracoscopic vision while a tamponade was directly applied to the mediastinal perforation. Massive bleeding was prevented and the central vein perforation was treated successfully using a minimally invasive technique.

Fatal posterior sternoclavicular joint dislocation due to occult trauma.

Posterior sternoclavicular joint dislocations (PSCJDs) are extremely rare, emergent injuries. We present an unprecedented case of a 16-year-old boy without any initial history or signs of trauma who died of a brachiocephalic vein laceration secondary to an occult PSCJD. The pathophysiology, treatment, and diagnosis of PSCJD are discussed.

Innominate Vein Injury Secondary to First-Time Sternotomy.

Innominate vein injury is a known potential complication of redo sternotomy, but transection of the innominate vein after first-time median sternotomy has not been previously described. A 71-year-old woman experienced left innominate vein transection upon division of the sternum for coronary artery bypass grafting. Subsequent massive bleeding required digital compression of the transected vessel ends, open manual cardiac massage, institution of a massive transfusion protocol, and pharmacologic support before hemodynamic control was gained by instituting cardiopulmonary bypass. Left innominate vein injury can occur with both first-time and redo sternotomy.

Life-threatening hemothorax resulting from right brachiocephalic vein perforation during right internal jugular vein catheterization.

We present a life-threatening case of hemothorax resulting from right brachiocephalic vein perforation during right internal jugular vein catheterization. We considered that the guidewire had punctured the right brachiocephalic vein extraluminally and the catheter inserted over the guidewire had enlarged the size of the perforation. Despite the use of proper technique, an angle-tip guidewire may perforate the venous wall. Therefore, when there is negative aspiration after central venous catheterization, it is important to perform an emergency chest radiograph before proceeding with surgery; it is also important not to use an angle-tip guidewire.

Prevention and treatment of dilator injuries during central venous catheter placement.

BACKROUND: Misuse of vascular dilators during the placement of central venous catheters has been infrequently reported and can lead to devastating intrathoracic hemorrhage and death. These injuries should be preventable in most cases. If a major intrathoracic vascular injury is recognized intraoperatively, less invasive treatment options are available to minimize the consequences. METHODS: The records of 20 patients who suffered 21 major vascular injuries during insertion of central venous catheters, ports, or dialysis catheters and resulted in malpractice claims over the course of 8 years were analyzed to determine the mechanism of injury, the timing of diagnosis, and how these injuries were treated. How the injury could have been prevented, why earlier diagnosis was not made, and what treatment options were possible were also examined. RESULTS: Twelve women and eight men were documented to have sustained intrathoracic major venous injuries during catheter insertions. There were five injuries to the superior vena cava, six to the right innominate vein, and 10 to the left innominate vein. All procedures were done using fluoroscopic guidance, and resistance to passage of the dilators was documented in eight cases. In most cases, the operator reported inserting the dilators to their maximum length. In four cases, the catheter could be seen intraoperatively in the thoracic cavity. Bleeding was diagnosed in the operating room in 11 cases, in the postanesthesia care unit in seven cases, and on postoperative days 2 and 5 after misplaced catheters were removed. Ten patients underwent thoracotomies and one patient each underwent thoracoscopy and placement of a covered stent in an attempt to stop the hemorrhage. Eight patients died before the diagnosis was made. Seventeen patients died. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of U.S. Food and Drug Administration warnings, dilators are still inserted too far in patients, resulting in devastating hemorrhage. These complications are preventable if proper technique is used. When a catheter is noted to be misplaced, it must not be removed before either a covered stent or thoracoscopy is available; otherwise, uncontrolled hemorrhage into the chest may occur. If a patient becomes unstable in the operating room or immediate postoperative period injury to a major vein must be considered and corrected quickly.

Percutaneous endovascular treatment of an iatrogenic superior cava vein syndrome during the immediate post-operative period after mitral-aortic valve replacement. / Tratamiento endovascular percutáneo de un síndrome de vena cava superior en el postoperatorio inmediato de recambio valvular mitroaórtico.

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) results from superior vena cava obstruction, causing a decrease in venous return from the head, neck, and upper extremities. Although the most frequent cause is still malignant tumour processes, in recent years an increase has been observed in non-tumour causes, such as thrombosis of intravascular devices or iatrogenic causes during cardiac surgery. A case is presented of SVCS after cardiac surgery treated satisfactorily by an endovascular technique and systemic anticoagulation.

Imaging of the brachiocephalic vein.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to review the imaging features of congenital variants of and pathologic conditions affecting the brachiocephalic vein. CONCLUSION: CT and MRI are excellent for visualizing developmental anomalies and mediastinal tumors that involve the brachiocephalic vein. Although they affect this vein less commonly than do developmental anomalies and tumors, trauma, aneurysm formation, stenosis related to dialysis or other conditions, and various complications related to central venous catheters do occur, and familiarity with the imaging findings is helpful for diagnosis.

Delayed Malposition of Central Venous Catheter Induced Mediastinum Hematoma With Innominate Vein Perforation.

Central venous catheterization (CVC) is a common invasive procedure. Although it is a relatively safe procedure, severe complications occurred sometimes. One of the most serious complications is large vessel perforation. A 40-year-old man was send to intensive care unit (ICU) after liver transplantation surgery with massive blood transfusion. Four days later, chest computed tomography (CT) were arranged for unknown leukocytosis and high level of procalcitonin. Chest CT revealed possibility of innominate vein perforation by CVC. Surgeon confirmed the malposition of CVC complicated perforation and repaired innominate vein. Unfortunately, the patient passed away 8 days later after this re-operation even initially better condition after aggressive treatment. Delayed malposition of CVC is a rare cause for CVC complications. To minimize incidence of this severe complication, catheterization should be performed very carefully and post-procedure position checking is indicated.