TRAUMATIC PSEUDOANEURYSMS OF PERIPHERAL ARTERIES AND THEIR SURGICAL-MANAGEMENT

From 1977 through 1990, 60 patients who had traumatic pseudoaneurysms underwent surgical treatment at Dicle University, School of Medicine, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Department; 65% of the aneurysms were localized at lower extremities and 35% at upper extremities. The most frequent localization was 40% at the superficial femoral artery. Etiology of the trauma was as follows: 67% shotgun injuries, 25% penetrating instrument injuries, 5% blunt trauma, and 3% iatrogenic. In 31.7% end-to-end anastomosis, in 45% saphenous venous interposition, in 10% ligation, in 8.3% lateral suture, and in 3.3% artificial grafting were done as a surgical management. Primary amputation was done in 1.7% of the patients; 93.3% of all the patients have recovered, and only 1 patient died (1.7%).