OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of multi-segment inverted Y-shaped vein transplantation using the anterior lateral malleolar venous network for repair of amputated palm injury distal to the superficial palmar arch. METHODS: Between September 2018 and July 2023, 5 patients with amputated palm injury distal to the superficial palmar arch were treated. There were 3 males and 2 females with an average age of 35.4 years (range, 29-52 years). The time from injury to admission was 1-6 hours (mean, 3.2 hours). The multi-segment inverted Y-shaped vein transplantation in the anterior lateral malleolar venous network were used to repair the common and proper palmar digital arteries; the another anterior lateral malleolar venous network was used to repair the dorsal vein of the hand. The soft tissue defect of dorsal hand in 1 patient was repaired with the pedicled ilioinguinal flap, and the wound at the donor site was directly sutured. Postoperative treatment included anti-infection therapy, antispasmodic therapy, and thrombosis prevention measures. RESULTS: The partial necrosis of the fingertip of the thumb occurred in 1 case, and the marginal necrosis of the abdominal flap after operation occurred in 1 case. The remaining fingers showed good blood supply with normal tension. The incision at donor site of the abdominal flap healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 8-41 months (median, 19 months). At last follow-up, the hand contour was satisfactory; the grasping function, opposition function, and proprioception recovered, and two-point discrimination ranged from 5 to 7 mm (mean, 6 mm). According to the upper extremity function evaluation criteria issued by Hand Surgery Society of the Chinese Medical Association, the functional outcomes were excellent in 3 cases, good in 1 case, and fair in 1 case. CONCLUSION The multi-segment inverted Y-shaped vein transplantation using the anterior lateral malleolar venous network for repairing defects in the common and proper palmar digital arteries distal to the superficial palmar arch offers advantages such as superficial location, flexible harvesting, and high compatibility. This technique has demonstrated favorable outcomes in complex transmetacarpal amputation reconstruction.
Humans ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Hand Injuries/surgery* ; Middle Aged ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods* ; Veins/transplantation* ; Surgical Flaps/blood supply* ; Hand/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery*

Injuries deeper than the platysma are considered as penetrating neck injuries, constituting approximately 5% - 10% of all trauma. Many vital organs are at risk from a penetrating neck injury. These injuries in zone 1 have the highest mortality, because the injuries are close to the vital organs and difficult to access surgically. A 41-year-old male, a car mechanic by profession, presented to the emergency department with a penetrating neck injury on the right side. CT scan demonstrated a metallic foreign body in zone 1 between the right internal jugular vein and the common carotid artery. The patient was asymptomatic, and the foreign body was removed surgically. This case shows a rare presentation of a penetrating neck injury with a foreign body located in zone 1, where no vital internal structure was injured. As of now, no previous case report has been identified on such presentation. Thus, it will provide a valuable addition to the pre-existing literature.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Neck Injuries/diagnostic imaging* ; Wounds, Penetrating/diagnostic imaging* ; Foreign Bodies/diagnostic imaging* ; Jugular Veins ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Carotid Artery Injuries/surgery* ; Carotid Artery, Common

Most sharp force fatalities are attributed to homicide or suicide, with only a few accidental cases reported to date. Broken glass accounts for most of these accidental fatalities. We herein report an unusual accidental death caused by a broken glass cup. A 21-year-old woman was found dead on the floor of her studio apartment. The studio was a duplex consisting of one room and a bathroom, with a stepped drawer leading to the second floor. She was lying face down with her legs spread apart in a large pool of blood, surrounded by many pieces of broken glass. There was an oblique cut measuring 9 cm in length in the right sternocleidomastoid region just above the right clavicle. The surface of the cut wound showed irregular edges and the internal jugular vein was severed in the depth of the wound. She appeared to have fallen down the steps onto the ground floor and been fatally injured in the neck by a piece of broken glass.
Clavicle ; Deception ; Female ; Glass ; Homicide ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Leg ; Neck ; Neck Injuries ; Suicide ; Wounds and Injuries ; Young Adult

Intravenous pyogenic granuloma (IVPG), also known as intravenous lobular capillary hemangioma, is an extremely rare form of vascular tumor which derives from the lumen of a vein of the head and neck and upper extremities. The treatment of choice is complete local excision of a small portion of the vein. Since first report in 1979, IVPG has been reported in no more than 60 reports abroad. To our knowledge, IVPG originating in the external jugular vein has never been reported in Korea but has important clinical implication. Accurate preoperative diagnosis of neck mass originating in jugular vein is important to plan operative procedures to avoid vascular injury, excessive bleeding, or incomplete excision. Preoperative radiologic examinations such as ultrasonography, computed tomography are useful as first-line diagnostic tools for differential diagnosis of movable neck mass. With a review of literature, the author reports a case of IVPG arising from the left external jugular vein in a 31-year-old male who complained about a palpable neck mass. This patient was successfully managed by ligation and excision of the vein without any complication and no recurrence was found after 6 months.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Granuloma, Pyogenic ; Head ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Korea ; Ligation ; Male ; Neck ; Recurrence ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Ultrasonography ; Upper Extremity ; Vascular System Injuries ; Veins

PURPOSE: The clinical characteristics and results of femoropopliteal artery injury (FPAI) remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated the outcomes and risk factors of limb loss in patients treated for FPAI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from a database of patients who underwent revascularization for an FPAI at a single institution between January 2013 and December 2017. We reviewed and analyzed the characteristics, postoperative results, and factors that influence amputation rates. RESULTS: Twenty-four femoropopliteal arterial reconstructions in 24 patients were included in this study. Among the patients were 20 (83.3%) male with a first-quartile age of 28 years and a third-quartile age of 45 years (range, 15–68 years). The mean injury severity score (ISS) was 16 (range, 4–55), and 5 patients (20.8%) had ISSs of >20 points. The mean mangled extremity severity score (MESS) was 3.8 (range, 1–11), and 8 patients (33.3%) had MESSs of >5 points. In terms of arterial reconstruction methods, autogenous saphenous vein grafting, vein patching, and primary closure were performed in 9 patients (37.5%), 4 patients (16.7%), and 11 patients (45.8%), respectively. Despite arterial reconstruction, 5 patients (20.8%) underwent above-knee amputation. ISSs of >20, MESSs of >7, and orthopedic fixation were statistically significant factors associated with amputation. CONCLUSION: In cases of FPAI with ISSs of >20, MESSs of >7, and orthopedic fixation, amputations should be considered. We were also careful to attempt limb salvage in such cases.
Amputation ; Amputation, Traumatic ; Arteries ; Extremities ; Femoral Artery ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Limb Salvage ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Orthopedics ; Popliteal Artery ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Saphenous Vein ; Transplants ; Vascular System Injuries ; Veins

PURPOSE: Neurogenic myositis ossificans (NMO) in patients with traumatic spinal cord or brain injuries can cause severe joint ankylosis or compromise neurovascularture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of and review considerations relevant to surgical resection of NMO of the hip joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients (9 hips) underwent periarticular NMO resection between 2015 and 2017. The medical records of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative computed tomography including angiography was performed to determine osteoma location and size. Improvement in hip motion allowing sitting was considered the sole indicator of a successful surgery. The anterior approach was used in all patients. The ranges of motion (ROM) before and after surgery were compared. RESULTS: The mean time from accident to surgery was 3.6 years. Average ROM improved from 24.3°(flexion and extension) to 98.5°(flexion and extension) after surgery, and improvement was maintained at the last follow-up. No commom complications (e.g., deep infection, severe hematoma, deep vein thrombosis) occurred in any patient. Improvement in ROM in one hip in which surgical resection was performed 10 years after the accident was not satisfactory owing to the pathologic changes in the joint. CONCLUSION: Surgical excision of periarticular NMO of the hip joint can yield satisfactory results, provided that appropriate preoperative evaluation is performed. Early surgical intervention yields satisfactory results and may prevent the development of intra-articular pathology.
Angiography ; Ankylosis ; Brain Injuries ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Hip Joint ; Hip ; Humans ; Joints ; Medical Records ; Myositis Ossificans ; Myositis ; Osteoma ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord ; Veins

OBJECTIVE: To suggest rotation angles of fluoroscopy that can bypass the carotid sheath according to vertebral levels for cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI). METHODS: Patients who underwent cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from January 2009 to October 2017 were analyzed. In axial sections of cervical spine MRI, three angles to the vertical line (α, angle not to insult carotid sheath; β, angle for the conventional TFESI; γ, angle not to penetrate carotid artery) were measured. RESULTS: Alpha (α) angles tended to increase for upper cervical levels (53.3° in C6-7, 65.2° in C5-6, 75.3° in C4-5, 82.3° in C3-4). Beta (β) angles for conventional TFESI showed a constant value of 45° to 47° (47.5° in C6-7, 47.4° in C5-6, 45.7° in C4-5, 45.0° in C3-4). Gamma (γ) angles increased at higher cervical levels as did α angles (25.2° in C6-7, 33.6° in C5-6, 43.0° in C4-5, 56.2° in C3-4). CONCLUSION: The risk of causing injury by penetrating major vessels in the carotid sheath tends to increase at upper cervical levels. Therefore, prior to cervical TFESI, measuring the angle is necessary to avoid carotid vessels in the axial section of CT or MRI, thus contributing to a safer procedure.
Carotid Arteries ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Needles* ; Spine ; Vascular System Injuries

BACKGROUND: Our goal was to determine whether postoperative delirium is associated with inpatient complication rates after primary elective total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample, we analyzed records of patients who underwent primary elective THA from 2000 through 2009 to identify patients with delirium (n = 13,551) and without delirium (n = 1,992,971) and to assess major perioperative complications (acute renal failure, death, myocardial infarction, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, and stroke) and minor perioperative complications (deep vein thrombosis, dislocation, general procedural complication, hematoma, seroma, and wound infection). Patient age, sex, length of hospital stay, and number of comorbidities were assessed. We used multivariate logistic regression to determine the association of delirium with complication rates (significance, p < 0.01). RESULTS: Patients with delirium were older (mean, 75 ± 0.2 vs. 65 ± 0.1 years), were more likely to be male (56% vs. 52%), had longer hospital stays (mean, 5.7 ± 0.07 vs. 3.8 ± 0.02 days), and had more comorbidities (mean, 2.8 ± 0.03 vs. 1.4 ± 0.01) (all p < 0.001) versus patients without delirium. Patients with delirium were more likely to have major (11% vs. 3%) and minor (17% vs. 7%) perioperative complications versus patients without delirium (both p < 0.001). When controlling for age, sex, and number of comorbidities, delirium was independently associated with major and minor complications (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 2.3). CONCLUSIONS: Delirium is an independent risk factor for major and minor perioperative complications after primary elective THA.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Comorbidity ; Delirium* ; Dislocations ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Pneumonia ; Postoperative Complications ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Renal Insufficiency ; Risk Factors ; Seroma ; Thrombosis ; Veins ; Wounds and Injuries

May-Thurner syndrome, also known as iliac vein compression syndrome, is an anatomically variable condition that is characterized by left common iliac vein compression by the right common iliac artery and the lumbar vertebra. This chronic and pulsatile venous compression by the right common iliac artery can cause local intimal injury, inflammation, scarring, and fibrosis, leading to venous outflow obstruction and increased intraluminal pressure. This can cause several complications, such as venous insufficiency, venous claudication, deep vein thrombosis, and very rarely extraperitoneal hematoma due to spontaneous iliac vein rupture. In particular, in middle aged women, hormonal imbalance coupled with these mechanical and inflammatory factors can cause further weakening of the venous wall integrity and develop spontaneous and potentially lethal venous rupture. This paper reports an extremely rare case of a 58-year-old woman with May-Thurner syndrome with acute and extensive deep vein thrombosis of the left lower extremity and a spontaneous extraperitoneal hematoma caused by utero-ovarian vein rupture.
Abdominal Cavity ; Cicatrix ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; Iliac Vein ; Inflammation ; Lower Extremity ; May-Thurner Syndrome* ; Middle Aged ; Rupture* ; Spine ; Vascular System Injuries ; Veins* ; Venous Insufficiency ; Venous Thrombosis*

PURPOSE: Varicose veins with great saphenous vein (GSV) insufficiency is prevalent. Among various surgical treatments for varicose veins, cryosurgery of GSV is an alternative minimally invasive technique that could leave fewer scars and replace conventional stripping with ambulatory phlebectomy. This study sought to assess outcomes including efficacy and safety of cryosurgery for varicose veins. METHODS: One hundred thirty-one limbs in 84 patients (37 male, 47 female; mean age, 53.3 years) with varicose veins were treated with cryosurgery over a 2-year period. The patients were followed for postoperative complication with surveillance of recurrence. The analyzed variables included age, sex, symptom, operative time (from skin incision to the application of elastic bandages on the legs for compression purposes), and postoperative complications including bruising, hematoma, superficial thrombophlebitis, cellulitis, seroma, cutaneous nerve damage, and wound complication. RESULTS: The mean operative time was 64.7 minutes for both limbs and 44 minutes for single limbs. The median number of incisions was 2. For stripping of GSV, one incision at the groin was necessary. Postoperative complications included an episode of hematoma in 3 limbs (2.3%), cutaneous nerve damage in 3 limbs (2.3%), cellulitis in 2 patients (1.5%), and seroma in 1 limb (0.8%). No wound infection, thrombophlebitis or deep venous thrombosis was observed. During follow-up (mean follow-up period, 13.5 months; range, 3–28 months), there was no recurrence. CONCLUSION: Cryosurgery to treat varicose veins is an effective and safe treatment modality in terms of postoperative complication, cosmetic result, and recurrence.
Cellulitis ; Cicatrix ; Compression Bandages ; Cryosurgery* ; Extremities ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Groin ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Leg ; Male ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence ; Saphenous Vein ; Seroma ; Skin ; Thrombophlebitis ; Varicose Veins* ; Venous Thrombosis ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries