Vascular Injuries

The characteristics of vascular trauma vary according to society’s behavior. In general, they are more common in penetrating trauma, but injuries associated with blunt mechanisms deserve attention, given the growing number of high-energy car accidents. Iatrogenic injuries have also become more common, especially those related to a large number of invasive and percutaneous procedures. The knowledge acquired regarding the treatment of vascular trauma occurred mainly during periods of war, particularly in World War II and the Korean War, contributing to the development of fundamental therapeutic techniques. Vascular injuries must be promptly recognized in polytrauma patients, as they can result in disastrous functional consequences and amputations of limbs or be related to hemodynamic instability, which may culminate in the patient’s death (Fig. 17.1).