[Endovascular treatment of traumatic lesions of thoracic aorta. Our experience]. / Trattamento endovascolare delle lesioni traumatiche dell'aorta toracica. Nostra esperienza.

OBJECTIVES: To report our experience with endovascular repair of descending thoracic aorta in patients with acute and chronic traumatic lesions due to blunt chest trauma in last 4 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January 2002 to September 2006, 5 patients underwent endovascular repair of descending thoracic aorta for acute (3 cases) and chronic (2 cases) traumatic lesions due to road traffic accidents (motorcycle crash: 1; car crash: 4). RESULTS: Stent-graft placement was successful in all cases with good early outcomes and without late complications (follow up 3-48 months). CONCLUSION: Endovascular repair of descending thoracic aorta lesions, due to blunt chest trauma, is a feasible and valid alternative to conventional open operation.

[Extremity vascular traumas]. / Traumi vascolari degli arti.

OBJECTIVE: The Authors report on a series of 61 vascular traumas treated over a 7 years, separated in two groups. The first one includes 35 cases, that are street accidents, on the work and gunshot wounds. The second group includes 26 iatrogenic causes due to arterial catheterism. METHODS: All patients underwent ecocolor Doppler directly in the operating theatre and, when this diagnostic procedure was not enough, pre-operating angiography was used (10 cases of complex traumas of the lower limb). RESULTS: One death was reported far each groups (3.27%). In 55 cases (90.1%), limb savage was achieved. In the others 4 (6.93%) of the first group, limb demolition was necessary for different causes. In the first group, severe neurological sequelaes were observed in 2 cases and motor deficits caused by tendon lesions in 1 case. CONCLUSION: The good results obtained are the result of the short ischemic interval between the acute event and treatment, thanks to a multidisciplinary approach of a specific equipe, that is rapid as possible.