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[Trash foot following abdominal aortic surgery].
S Nitecki1, A Schramek, S Torem
1Vascular Surgery Unit, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa.
Harefuah
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Peripheral embolism after abdominal aortic surgery, known as "trash foot," can lead to severe ischemia. This complication, affecting 7-29% of patients, may necessitate amputation or result in death.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Background:
- Peripheral embolism from intraarterial debris is a known risk during abdominal aortic surgery.
- Cholesterol emboli can cause critical limb ischemia, termed 'trash foot'.
Observation:
- The incidence of trash foot is reported between 7-29% but is likely underestimated.
- Three patient cases (two men, one woman) with this complication are presented.
- Treatments explored include heparin, embolectomy, sympathectomy, aspirin, rheomacrodex, and prostaglandins.
Findings:
- Two of the reported patients required below-knee amputation.
- The third patient succumbed to the complication.
Implications:
- This highlights the significant morbidity and mortality associated with trash foot.
- Effective prevention and management strategies for cholesterol embolism syndrome are crucial.
- Further research into optimizing treatment protocols for this devastating complication is warranted.