Femoral Artery Occlusion Following Pelvic Cancer Surgery

Acute arterial occlusion in the lower extremities of patients with gynecologic cancers may not be immediately recognized in the postoperative period, despite the known risk of hypercoagulability associated with malignancy. Such delays in recognition and treatment can result in irreversible but poten...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gynecologic oncology 1996-10, Vol.63 (1), p.151-153
Main Authors: Hamilton, Chad A., Robinson, William R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Amputation
Arterial Occlusive Diseases - complications
Arterial Occlusive Diseases - etiology
Biological and medical sciences
Female
Female genital diseases
Femoral Artery
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Humans
Ischemia - etiology
Ischemia - surgery
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Pelvic Neoplasms - surgery
Postoperative Complications
Tumors
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Summary:Acute arterial occlusion in the lower extremities of patients with gynecologic cancers may not be immediately recognized in the postoperative period, despite the known risk of hypercoagulability associated with malignancy. Such delays in recognition and treatment can result in irreversible but potentially preventable tissue injury. This report describes three cases of acute arterial occlusion of the femoral and/or external iliac arteries in the immediate postoperative period following radical pelvic surgery. Two patients lost the involved limb due to irreversible changes resulting from prolonged ischemia. One patient was diagnosed while the involved limb was still viable and surgical revascularization was successfully performed. These cases illustrate the potential morbidity in unrecognized acute limb ischemia and the ease with which it may be overlooked. Systematic documentation of arterial patency is recommended in the postoperative period, noting peripheral pulses and patient complaints related to the lower extremities. Rapid diagnosis and surgical intervention significantly increase the chance of maintaining viability of the involved limb.
ISSN:0090-8258
1095-6859
DOI:10.1006/gyno.1996.0296