Long-term outcomes of autologous vein bypass for repair of upper and lower extremity major arterial trauma.

OBJECTIVE: Autologous vein is the preferred bypass conduit for extremity arterial injuries owing to superior patency and low infection risk; however, long-term data on outcomes in civilians are limited. Our goal was to assess short- and long-term outcomes of autologous vein bypass for upper and lower extremity arterial trauma. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of patients with major extremity arterial injuries (2001-2019) at a level I trauma center. Demographics, injury and intervention details, and outcomes were recorded. Primary outcomes were primary patency at 1 year and 3 years. Secondary outcomes were limb function at 6 months, major amputation, and mortality. Multivariable analysis determined risk factors for functional impairment. RESULTS: There were 107 extremity arterial injuries (31.8% upper and 68.2% lower) treated with autologous vein bypass. Mechanism was penetrating in 77% of cases, of which 79.3% were due to firearms. The most frequently injured vessels were the common and superficial femoral (38%), popliteal (30%), and brachial arteries (29%). For upper extremity trauma, concomitant nerve and orthopedic injuries were found in 15 (44.1%) and 11 (32.4%) cases, respectively. For lower extremities, concomitant nerve injuries were found in 10 (13.7%) cases, and orthopedic injuries in 31 (42.5%). Great saphenous vein was the conduit in 96% of cases. Immediate intraoperative bypass revision occurred in 9.3% of patients, most commonly for graft thrombosis. The in-hospital return to operating room rate was 15.9%, with graft thrombosis (47.1%) and wound infections (23.5%) being the most common reasons. The median follow-up was 3.6 years. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed 92% primary patency at 1 year and 90% at 3 years. At 6 months, 36.1% of patients had functional impairment. Of patients with functional impairment at 6 months, 62.9% had concomitant nerve and 60% concomitant orthopedic injuries. Of those with nerve injury, 91.7% had functional impairment, compared with 17.8% without nerve injury (P < .001). Of patients with orthopedic injuries, 51.2% had functional impairment, vs 25% of those without orthopedic injuries (P = .01). On multivariable analysis, concomitant nerve injury (odds ratio, 127.4; 95% confidence interval, 17-957; P <. 001) and immediate intraoperative revision (odds ratio, 11.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-95.55; P = .029) were associated with functional impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Autologous vein bypass for major extremity arterial trauma is durable; however, many patients have long-term limb dysfunction associated with concomitant nerve injury and immediate intraoperative bypass revision. These factors may allow clinicians to identify patients at higher risk for functional impairment, to outline patient expectations and direct rehabilitation efforts toward improving functional outcomes.

Outcomes following ipsilateral great saphenous vein bypass for lower extremity arterial injuries.

OBJECTIVE: Use of autologous great saphenous vein (GSV) grafts for repair of extremity arterial injuries is well established. Contralateral great saphenous vein (cGSV) is traditionally used in the setting of lower extremity vascular injury given the risk of occult ipsilateral superficial and deep venous injury. We evaluated outcomes of ipsilateral GSV (iGSV) bypass in patients with lower extremity vascular trauma. METHODS: Patient records at an ACS verified Level I urban trauma center between 2001 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who sustained lower extremity arterial injuries managed with autologous GSV bypass were included. Propensity-matched analysis compared the iGSV and cGSV groups. Primary graft patency was assessed via Kaplan-Meier analysis at 1-year and 3-years following the index operation. RESULTS: A total of 76 patients underwent autologous GSV bypass for lower extremity vascular injuries. 61 cases (80%) were secondary to penetrating trauma, and 15 patients (20%) underwent repair with iGSV bypass. Arteries injured in the iGSV group included popliteal (33.3%), common femoral (6.7%), superficial femoral (33.3%), and tibial (26.7%), while those in the cGSV group included common femoral (3.3%), superficial femoral (54.1%), and popliteal (42.6%). Reasons for using iGSV included trauma to the contralateral leg (26.7%), relative accessibility (33.3%), and other/unknown (40%). On unadjusted analysis, iGSV patients had a higher rate of 1-year amputation than cGSV patients (20% vs. 4.9%), but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.09). Propensity matched analysis also found no significant difference in 1-year major amputation (8.3% vs. 4.8%, P = 0.99). Regarding ambulatory status, iGSV patients had similar rates of independent ambulation (33.3% vs. 38.1%), need for assistive devices (58.3% vs. 57.1%), and use of a wheelchair (8.3% vs. 4.8%) compared cGSV patients at subsequent follow-up (P = 0.90). Kaplan-Meier analysis of bypass grafts revealed comparable primary patency rates for iGSV versus cGSV bypasses at 1-year (84% vs. 91%) and 3-years post-intervention (83% vs. 90%, P = 0.364). CONCLUSION: Ipsilateral GSV may be used as a durable conduit for bypass in cases of lower extremity arterial trauma where use of contralateral GSV is not feasible, with comparable long-term primary graft patency rates and ambulatory status.

Diagnostic Enigma: Spindle Cell Sarcoma of the Aorta Presenting as Pulmonary Embolism and Chronic Anaemia.

Primary aortic sarcoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy with only approximately 190 cases reported in the literature. While angiosarcoma and intimal sarcomas represent an estimated 67.7% of malignant aortic tumours, spindle cell sarcomas are even more exclusive, consisting of only 0.9% of malignant aortic tumours. Differentiated from other malignant aortic tumours, spindle cell sarcomas are of mesenchymal origin and usually express vimentin and osteopontin. Clinical presentations are variable and nonspecific, ranging from back pain, abdominal pain or elevated blood pressure, misleading to differentials like pulmonary emboli or aortic aneurysms such as in our case here. In this article, we discuss the finding of an extremely rare aortic sarcoma masquerading as a pulmonary embolism. The patient underwent surgical resection; however, the course was complicated by the development of brain metastases and intracranial haemorrhage. The literature is expanding regarding the evolution of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the treatment of these patients. The exact pathogenesis of spindle cell sarcomas is unknown but thought to be related to the MDM2-p53 pathway. The development of spindle cell sarcomas may be related to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which should be on the differential for these patients. This case highlights the importance of identifying aortic sarcomas in patients who present with signs and symptoms of peripheral embolization as the diagnosis can be easily misconstrued for thrombus or aortic aneurysm, leading to a delay in proper and timely management. We herein emphasize that aortic sarcomas should be included in the clinician's working differential due to the poor prognosis and outcomes that these aggressive tumours carry. LEARNING POINTS: Malignant aortic tumours are rare and can present with a multitude of symptoms ranging from constitutional symptoms to abdominal discomfort to unexplained hypertension. Spindle cell sarcomas represent 1 of the least common malignant aortic tumours reported in the literature.Malignant aortic tumours have a poor prognosis, and of the various types of malignant aortic tumours, aortic sarcomas have a particularly poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of 8%.The exact pathophysiology of these malignancies is unknown but is thought to be related to the MDM2-p53 pathway and may be related to Li-Fraumeni syndrome.