Vascular anastomosis

In wartime, the major arterial injuries of the limbs account for about 1 to 3% of all wounded, and they often occur. After an arterial injury, major hemorrhages can be issued immediately and are life-threatening, especially larger arteries, such as the femoral, iliac, and brachial arteries. Even if the bleeding stops, necrosis or dysfunction can occur due to insufficient blood supply to the distal limb. During World War I and World War II, vascular injuries to the limbs were mostly treated by ligation, with an amputation rate of 49%. In the past forty years, repair methods have been applied to vascular injuries of the extremities to reduce the amputation rate to 0 to 13.5%. When the main blood vessels of the extremities are damaged, nearby tissues such as bones, joints, muscles and nerves are often injured at the same time. However, important vascular injuries should be treated first. Vascular injuries in the limbs are divided into arteries and veins. Most firearm injuries are caused by both injuries. Among them, arterial injury is often the main contradiction and should be repaired, but when there is extensive soft tissue injury, the vein must be repaired.