[Effect of improved surgical anesthesiologic factors on the results of treatment of aneurysms of the abdominal aorta].

The purpose of this study was to compare the recent results of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery, with the results for the patients operated ten years ago, and to identify the factors influencing the operative results. Two groups of patients were selected using a retrospective case series study. First group of patients (A) consisted of 32 cases operated in the period between 1984 and 1986, and the second group (B) consisted of those operated ten years later (from 1994 to 1996).

[War injuries of the arteries].

The experience with military vascular injuries in the recent war in Crotia is reviewed. From April 1991 to October 1995, 197 wounded persons with 231 injuries of arteries were admitted to the University Hospital Rebro. The most common injuries were of lower extremity arteries (54.

[Surgical treatment of war injuries of the veins].

Between April 1991 and December 1995, 118 patients were treated for wartime venous injuries. There were 108 (91.5%) venous injuries combined with arterial ones, and 52 (49%) with bone fractures.

Treatment of upper limb nerve war injuries associated with vascular trauma.

During a 4-year period, in the Departments of Plastic Surgery and Vascular Surgery at the Clinical Hospital Centre in Zagreb, 151 upper limb nerve injuries caused by war weapons were treated using microsurgical procedures, and 119 patients have been assessed. Among them, 44 patients with 58 nerve injuries had associated arterial injuries. It is of great importance that peripheral nerve as well as vessel injuries should be considered in all extremity war wounds.

Arteriovenous fistula of the internal mammary artery (combat injury): transcatheter intravascular coil occlusion.

A case of arteriovenous fistula of the left internal mammary artery occluded by Gianturco coil is reported. A 26-year-old male suffered multiple explosive injuries. Right heart failure developed postoperatively.

[Epidural anesthesia in vascular surgery in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease].

Epidural anaesthesia was determined in 29 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lidocaine 2% for vascular procedures such as embolectomy from the arteriae femoralis and arteriae poplitea was used as an anesthetic in 12 patients and 0.5% bupivacaine for aortobitemoral or femoropopliteal bypass in 17 patients.

Military vascular injuries in Croatia.

A single-centre experience of military vascular injuries in the recent conflict in Yugoslavia is reviewed. From 1 April to 13 December 1991, 1020 casualties were admitted to the Surgical Clinic at the Teaching Faculty of the University in Zagreb, Croatia. A total of 120 injured blood vessels in 76 patients were treated in the department of vascular surgery.

[War injuries of the blood vessels].

In this article the authors review their personal experience with shotgun injuries to the blood vessels. To date literature demonstrates a significant difference between the military injuries to the blood vessels versus the peacetime ones in the terms of healing. Injuries from high velocity missiles as well as blast injuries produce a massive damage of the tissue, muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels.

[Surgical reconstructive treatment of blood vessels in the popliteal region].

Severe occlusive disease frequently includes the popliteal artery and origin of the trifurcation vessels with reconstruction of one or more of the crural arteries. We made femorocrural bypass 23 times. Our indications for operation continue to be relief of pain or salvage of extremity.

[Blood vessels injuries in intra-articular and para-articular fractures].

The authors reviewed the problems of vascular injuries with fractures in the nearness of joints. They have pointed out the period from injuries to the operations. Particularly they accentuated importance of team work between bone and vascular surgeons.