Tube graft replacement of the suprarenal aorta with implantation of the superior mesenteric artery.

The superior mesenteric artery was successfully implanted to a tube graft replacement of the suprarenal abdominal aorta after a gunshot wound. Although injuries to the abdominal aorta carry a high mortality, adequate management and prompt operation can reduce the mortality rate. In cases like this one the ingenuity of the surgeon is at stake, because arterial anastomoses are not always possible to their natural origin. Death from aortic injuries is most commonly caused by hemorrhage and exsanguination, so appropriate measures must be taken as soon as the diagnosis is made to avoid this possibility. Also, patients should not be hypotensive for any long time, so transfusion should be timed carefully, especially when the aortic clamps are being removed.