Prognostic factors for femoropopliteal vascular injuries: surgical decisions matter

BACKGROUND: Lower limbs are frequently involved in vascular trauma, but it is still not clear which factors lead to unfavorable clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical profile of patients with femoropopliteal injuries, the trauma mechanisms, and treatment and identify which factors led to unfavorable outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective study based on the medical records of patients treated from 2017 to 2021. The following data were assessed: sex, age, distance to reach the hospital, trauma mechanism, hypovolemic shock, additional injuries, treatment of vascular injuries, whether fasciotomy was needed, inappropriate intraoperative decisions, and injury severity score. Need for surgical reintervention, amputation, and death were defined as unfavorable outcomes. Univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The sample comprised 94 patients; 83% were men; mean age was 30.8 years; combined arterial and venous injuries prevailed (57.5%); and superficial femoral vessels were the most affected (61.7%). Penetrating mechanisms prevailed (80.9%). Arterial injuries were most frequently treated with venous graft (59.6%) and venous injuries underwent ligation (81.4%). In 15% of cases, inappropriate surgical decisions were detected; most often use of the ipsilateral great saphenous vein for arterial reconstruction. Unfavorable outcomes occurred in 44.7%: surgical reintervention was necessary in 21.3% and limb amputation in 25.5%, while 9.5% of the patients died. CONCLUSIONS: These injuries mainly involved young men, victims of gunshot wounds. Superficial femoral vessels were the most injured; concomitant non-vascular trauma was frequent, mainly fractures. Inappropriate surgical decisions increased the need for reinterventions by 34 times. Need for fasciotomy, presence of fracture/dislocation, blunt trauma mechanism, and popliteal artery injury increased the risk of amputation.