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Cervical Vascular Injuries: Techniques

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Abstract

The complex anatomical relationships within a small area make the diagnosis and management of both penetrating neck vascular injuries (PNVI) and blunt neck vascular injuries (BNVI) challenging. Radiographic evaluation continues to evolve, with a shift from invasive to noninvasive diagnostics. The epidemiology of penetrating and blunt vascular injuries to the neck is distinctly different. Among penetrating injuries, firearms are responsible for about 43%, stab wounds for about 40%, shotguns for about 4%, and other weapons for about 12%. Overall, about 35% of all gunshot wounds (GSWs) and 20% of stab wounds (SWs) to the neck cause significant injuries, but only 16% of GSWs and 10% SWs require surgical therapy. Even though transcervical GSWs cause significant injuries in 73% of victims, only 21% require surgery. Although BNVI is common, when cervical spine injuries are excluded, injuries to the remaining structures are rare. Though uncommon, blunt cerebrovascular injuries can be lethal. With increased appreciation and availability of noninvasive diagnostics, the rates of these injuries are now between 1.0% and 2.0%.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSTARS, United Stated Air Force, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, Program in Trauma, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Joseph J. DuBose

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Correspondence to Joseph J. DuBose .

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  1. R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Thomas M. Scalea

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DuBose, J.J. (2021). Cervical Vascular Injuries: Techniques. In: Scalea, T.M. (eds) The Shock Trauma Manual of Operative Techniques. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27596-9_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27596-9_16

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