Endovascular Treatment of Gunshot Cervical Injury

pp. 46-50

Abstract

Background: The best approach for the treatment of gunshot wounds involving the cervical region remains controversial. Endovascular therapy of this type of pathology has become relevant in the last years due to the development of new devices and, consequently, to the lower incidence of procedure complications.
Objective: The aim of this study was to define the role of endovascular treatment of gunshot cervical lesions.
Methods: Seventy-six patients suffering from gunshot lesions in the cervical region underwent angiography of the supra-aortic vessels to decide the therapeutic approach.
Results: Among the 76 patients included in the study, 47 (61.8%) presented a pathologic angiography and endovascular treatment of the lesion was decided in 26, with 1.1 stent implant per patient. Average in-hospital stay was 10.4 days. At 30 days of follow-up, 2 patients presented neurological sequels and one evolved with sepsis. In the long-term follow-up with an average of 4 years, one death
was registered 117 days after the procedure.
Conclusions: Endovascular treatment has achieved a predominant role with the development of new devices to treat ever increasing complex pathologies and reduce the time of in-hospital stay, as well as procedure-related complications.