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General surgical problems requiring operation in postoperative vascular surgery patients
1Department of Surgery, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York 11042.
American Journal of Surgery
|September 1, 1991
Summary
General surgical problems after major vascular surgery are rare but deadly, with a 47% mortality rate. Emergency vascular procedures significantly increase this risk, leading to sepsis and death in elderly patients.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- General Surgery
- Surgical Complications
Background:
- Post-vascular surgery complications typically involve bleeding or thrombosis.
- General surgical issues requiring intervention after vascular surgery are infrequent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate outcomes of general surgical operations performed shortly after major vascular surgery.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 1,236 major vascular procedures from January 1985 to December 1989.
- Analysis of 15 patients who developed significant postoperative general surgical problems.
Main Results:
- Overall mortality was 47%, with sepsis being the cause of death in all fatalities (n=7).
- Patients undergoing emergency vascular surgery had a 100% mortality rate for subsequent general surgical complications.
- Diagnoses were often delayed, but this did not correlate with mortality.
Conclusions:
- General surgical problems post-vascular surgery carry a high mortality risk.
- Emergency vascular surgery patients with subsequent general surgical issues face extremely poor prognoses.
- Elderly patients with comorbidities are particularly vulnerable to septic insults.