Five-year study on the injury of the great thoracic vessels after penetrating chest injury.

In the cases of penetrating injury of the heart and the great thoracic vessels, 80% of the patients die before reaching the hospital care, nevertheless patients with sufficient vital functions can be rescued. Between 01. 01. 1994 and 31. 12. 1998 four patients were operated for penetrating injuries of the great vessels in the 2nd Department of Surgery, University Medical School of Debrecen. The left subclavian vein, arcus aortae and the pulmonary artery (2 cases) were injured. In this study authors report a detailed case operated for gunshot injury of the pulmonary artery. On the base of the situation of the projectile on X-ray picture and on the base of the entrance wound of the projectile on the skin we supposed the injury of the great thoracic vessels and we performed an urgent operation. After thoracotomy we found haemopericardium, bleeding wounds on the anterior and posterior haemorrhagic wall of the left pulmonary artery. We found the projectile inside the wall of the bronchus impacted. The bleeding wounds were finger-tamponaded and sutured. On the tenth postoperative day the patient was discharged from our clinic without complaint. The surgical approach to specific thoracic great vessels is also described.