[Popliteal vascular trauma].

6 cases of popliteal vascular trauma are presented, 3 due to posterior dislocation of the knee and 3 due to crush injury. The patients were referred from another hospital and some had undergone unnecessary angiography when ischemia was present, leading to delay in surgery. All patients presented with distal ischemia and underwent reconstructive surgery; 2 subsequently underwent below-knee amputation because of irreversible ischemia and sepsis.

Femorofemoral bypass, even in pregnancy--a case report.

A 29-year-old pregnant woman sustained blunt, left lower abdominal trauma, with hip and pelvic fractures, and progressive dissection of an intimal flap in the left iliac artery, which manifested two days later as profound ischemia of the left leg. The patient underwent distal thromboembolectomy, fasciotomies and revascularization of the leg by femorofemoral polytetrafluoroethylene bypass. The patient recovered completely and gave normal birth three months later to a healthy child.

Retroperitoneal endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy with balloon dissection: experience with a cadaveric model.

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of retroperitoneal endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy with balloon dissection technique using a cadaveric model. Retroperitoneal endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy was performed on 10 cadavers. The procedure was combined with balloon dissection to provide easier visualization and more working space.

"Veno-Press"--a new sequential intermittent pneumatic device for the prevention of perioperative deep vein thrombosis.

The prevention of peri-operative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the potentially hazardous pulmonary embolism that may follow is still a major medical issue. Intermittent pneumatic compression is one of the many methods currently in use for this purpose. No information is available, however, regarding the venous flow alterations that occur during employment of a pneumatic compression device under general anesthesia.

Primary long-standing chylous reflux into skin: combined operative and non-operative treatment.

Chylous discharge into cavities or skin is rare and usually arises after operations in the vicinity of the cisterna chyli (secondary chylous reflux). When chylous discharge is primary, however, chylous reflux has usually been present since birth probably as a consequence of obstruction to lymph flow at or above the cistern chyli. We report a patient who had had chylous reflux into lacerated skin in a lymphedematous thigh for more than 30 years.