[Post-traumatic arteriovenous fistulae and pseudoaneurysms].

The surgical treatment of 13 posttraumatic arteriovenous (AV) fistulae and 32 pseudoaneurysmae (PsAn) treated in the last 5 years in the Center of vascular surgery of the institute of cardiovascular diseases, Clinical center of Serbia (Belgrade) was presented. Three women and 42 men (mean age 31.7 years) were examined. Twenty-one injuries occurred in a war, while 24 injuries occurred in the peacetime. In most of the cases the superficial femoral artery was involved. The average time elapsed from the moment of injury till surgery, was 9 months in patients suffering from AV fistulae, while in patients suffering from PsAn the elapsed time was one month. In all of those with AV fistulae, some reconstructions of artery and vein were performed, except in 2 cases where the vein was ligated. In twenty-six patients suffering from PsAn the arterial reconstruction was performed, while in 6 cases the artery was ligated. Considering the type of artery, none of the patients suffered from postoperative ischemia. Patients were followed up for 2 years and 2 months on the average after the operation. As far as the reconstructive operations were concerned, postoperative patency rate was 100%, while limb salvage was achieved in 96.9%. Namely, one amputation was done in spite of high arterial patency rate, but it was indicated by massive bone-muscle tissue loss, that occurred after an injury by the land-mine. Due to the rapid progress of the disease the authors suggested that the operative treatment of posttraumatic AV fistulae and PsAn should start as soon as possible. This was supported by good follow-up results in operatively treated patients.