Prevalence of Vascular Injury Following Thoracic Surgery

Introduction: One of the conditions that may lead to vascular trauma is surgery; Since thoracic surgeries are performed in the upper extremity and the injuries caused by vascular trauma in the upper extremities are more than other organs, the present study was performed with the aim of the prevalence of vascular injuries following thoracic surgeries. Material and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed during 2020 in Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz. All patients after thoracic surgery were included in this study and the number of postoperative vascular injuries recorded in their files was evaluated and their results were reported. Results: Among the total participants in the study, 21 [2%] patients had vascular injuries after surgery; Among the highest rate of vascular injury was in patients who were candidates for thoracotomy [n=14], followed by patients who were candidates for breast surgery [n=7]. No vascular damage was observed in patient’s candidates for thoracoscopy. The most common injured artery was the subclavian artery [16 patients]; Thoracoscopically artery [5 patients] was in the second place. Conclusion: The prevalence of vascular injuries following thoracic surgery in the present study was about 8%; Thoracotomy and breast surgery were the most common surgeries in which vascular damage was seen.