Temporary arterial shunting following a complete transection of femoral artery in a resource-limited setting

Abstract

The aim of a surgeon managing vascular trauma in an extremity is to save the life, limb, and function of the patient. The use of temporary intravascular shunting has been shown to be a successful damage control strategy in patients who present with hemodynamic instability. We present the first reported case of a penetrating arterial injury of the lower limb causing a large defect that was successfully treated with temporary intravascular shunting before definitive repair in the country of Liberia. In a low-resource setting such as ours, the surgeon often opts to amputate limbs with vascular injuries that are not believed to be candidates for primary repair. Using a pediatric feeding tube with good postoperative results, we demonstrated that temporary arterial shunting in damage control situations before definitive repair was not only feasible but also cost-effective and ultimately resulted in the preservation of the patient's limb.