The Role of Revascularization in Managing Delayed Limb Ischemia Following Trauma

After trauma, delayed limb ischemia (DLI) is a serious disease that can cause a great deal of morbidity, although revascularization is essential for restoring blood flow along with preventing limb loss, little is known about its efficacy and results in trauma-related DLI, which by examining revascularization techniques, success rates, complications, and long-term results, this study aimed to assess the function of revascularization in treating DLI after trauma.

Furthermore, 82 patients diagnosed with DLI after trauma participated at different hospitals in Iraq, provided information on trauma mechanisms, complications, limb salvage rates, and death at a 12-month follow-up. Which our patients were 42.3 ± 12.7 years old, and 65.9% of them were men. Among trauma mechanisms, motor vehicle accidents accounted for the majority (43.9%). The majority of patients (61.0%) received a DLI diagnosis within 48 hours. With an overall success rate of 82.9%, endovascular revascularization is the most commonly employed technique (54.9%). Limb salvage was successful in 90.2% of patients, with a 9.8% amputation rate. Infection (7.3%) and reperfusion damage (9.8%) were among the post-revascularization consequences. At the 12-month follow-up, the majority of patients (73.2%) had fully recovered, but 18.3% still had residual impairment.

With high success rates and positive limb salvage results, revascularization is a very effective treatment for DLI after trauma, where early diagnosis and management are essential, as well as almost all patients recover over the long term despite issues including infection and reperfusion damage, underscoring the need of prompt and suitable revascularization techniques.