Impact of Staged Vascular Management on Limb Outcomes in Wartime Femoropopliteal Arterial Injury

By necessity, wartime arterial injuries undergo staged management. Initial procedures may occur at a forward surgical team (role 2), where temporary shunts can be placed before transfer to a larger field hospital (role 3) for definitive reconstruction. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of staging femoropopliteal injury care on limb outcomes.

A military vascular injury database was queried for Iraq/Afghanistan casualties with femoropopliteal arterial injuries undergoing attempted reconstruction (2004-2012). Cases were grouped by initial arterial management: shunt placed at role 2 (R2SHUNT), reconstruction at role 2 (R2RECON), and initial management at role 3 (R3MGT). The primary outcome was limb salvage; secondary outcomes were limb-specific complications. Descriptive and intergroup comparative statistics were performed with significance defined at P ≤ 0.05.

Of 257 cases, all but 4 had definitive reconstruction before evacuation to Germany (median, 2 days): 46 R2SHUNT, 84 R2RECON, and 127 R3MGT; median Mangled Extremity Severity Score was 6 for all groups. R2SHUNT had median extremity Abbreviated Injury Scale--vascular of 4 (other groups, 3; P < 0.05) and was more likely to have concomitant venous injury and to undergo fasciotomy. Shunts were used for 5 ± 3 hr. About 24% of R2RECON repairs were revised at role 3. Limb salvage rate of 80% was similar between groups, and 62% of amputations performed within 48 hr of injury. Rates of limb and composite graft complications were similar between groups. Thrombosis was more common in R2SHUNT (22%) than R2RECONST (6%) or R3MGT (12%) (P = 0.03). Late (>48 hr) thrombosis rates were similar, whereas 60% of R2SHUNT thromboses occurred on day of injury (P = 0.003 vs. 25% and 0%).

Staged femoropopliteal injury care is associated with similar limb salvage to initial role 3 management. Early thrombosis is likely because of shunt failure but does not lead to limb loss. Current military practice guidelines are appropriate and may inform civilian vascular injury management protocols.