Isolated popliteal artery occlusions are rare compared with femoropopliteal occlusive diseases. Although endovascular procedures have gained importance in treatment, conventional surgery remains the gold standard. In this study, we reviewed popliteal endarterectomy and patch plasty using a posterior approach. Fourteen patients who underwent surgery for isolated popliteal artery occlusions were retrospectively examined. Patients were assessed in terms of age, sex, and risk factors, such as accompanying diseases and smoking, surgical method and anesthesia, incision type, preoperative and postoperative pulse examination, ankle-brachial indices, patency, wound infection, postoperative complications, and the treatment applied. Twelve (85.7%) patients were male, and 2 (14.3%) were female. Limb ischemia was critical (ABI < 0.7) in 11 (78.5%) patients. The average duration of postoperative hospitalization was 8 ± 3.7 days on average, and the average length of follow-up was 17 ± 3.4 months. Thrombosis and complications requiring secondary intervention did not develop during the early postoperative period. While the patency rate in the first 6 months of follow-up was 100%, it was 92.8% in the 1st year and 85.7% in the 2nd year. Surgical treatment with the posterior approach in isolated popliteal artery lesions is preferred by vascular surgeons as a prioritized treatment method, with a sufficient recanalization rate and low perioperative morbidity and mortality rates. Furthermore, it is promising because it does not prevent below-knee femoropopliteal bypass, which is the subsequent stage of treatment. Moreover, the great saphenous vein was protected, and the acceptable early- and mid-term results were encouraging.

Background/Objectives: Allogeneic transfusion is a commonly used method to replace blood and blood elements lost during cardiac surgery, but it also has quite undesirable effects. The use of Cell Saver is now almost routinely recommended. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical and laboratory outcomes of the use of Cell Saver in elective CABG. Methods: Patients who had undergone elective CABG between January 2022 and October 2024 were retrospectively analyzed, and 344 patients were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: Cell Saver used (CS, n = 110) and not used (NCS, n = 234). The groups were compared in terms of pre- and postoperative clinical and laboratory outcomes. Results: The mean age of the cases included in the study was 63.65 ± 9.05 years (340 patients, range 36–87). The mean amount of drainage in the first 6 h postoperatively was 298.18 ± 155.81 mL in the NCS group and 388.64 ± 173.62 mL in the CS group (p < 0.001). In the first 24 h, it was 703.22 ± 320.39 mL in the NCS group and 827.73 ± 344.69 mL in the CS group (p = 0.001). Prolonged drainage was more frequent in the CS group (p = 0.004) and the length of hospital stay was longer (p = 0.014). The postoperative albumin level was lower in the CS group (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Although the use of Cell Saver reduces the need for allogeneic transfusions, it leads to increased bleeding in the initial period, prolonged drainage, and thus a longer hospital stay. In elective procedures, blood management should be evaluated and optimized using all methods.

Background/Objectives: Allogeneic transfusion is a commonly used method to replace blood and blood elements lost during cardiac surgery, but it also has quite undesirable effects. The use of Cell Saver is now almost routinely recommended. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical and laboratory outcomes of the use of Cell Saver in elective CABG. Methods: Patients who had undergone elective CABG between January 2022 and October 2024 were retrospectively analyzed, and 344 patients were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: Cell Saver used (CS, n=110) and not used (NCS, n=234). The groups were compared in terms of pre- and postoperative clinical and laboratory outcomes. Results: The mean age of the cases included in the study was 63.65±9.05 years (340 patients, range 36-87). The mean amount of drainage in the first 6 hours postoperatively was 298.18±155.81 ml in the NCS group and 388.64±173.62 ml in the CS group (p<0.001). In the first 24 hours it was 703.22±320.39 ml in the NCS group and 827.73±344.69 ml in the CS group (p=0.001). Prolonged drainage was more frequent in the CS group (p=0.004) and the length of hospital stay was longer (p=0.014). The postoperative albumin level was lower in the CS group (p=0.003). Conclusions: Although the use of Cell Saver reduces the need for allogeneic transfusions, it leads to increased bleeding in the initial period, prolonged drainage and thus to a longer hospital stay. In elective procedures, blood management should be evaluated and optimized using all methods.

Objectives: Due to high mortality rates, cardiac trauma management is a major challenge for emergency trauma teams. Patients’ clinical presentations vary according to the type and severity of injury. Despite optimal interventions, death may be unavoidable if the left heart is severely injured. Methods: Between January 2012 and January 2022, 24 patients were evaluated in the emergency department with a diagnosis of penetrating left heart injury and underwent urgent surgery. Patients in the survival and non-survival groups were retrospectively evaluated based on preoperative prognostic factors and statistically analyzed. Results: Gunshot wounds, left ventricular injuries, and injury severity were found to be associated with mortality. In addition, cardiac tamponade and the preoperative pH and lactate levels associated with tamponade were found to determine mortality. Hemodynamic shock status was found to be more favorable than tamponade status despite the associated unstable hemodynamics. Transfer time to surgery was found to be highly predictive of mortality. Conclusion: Since penetrating heart injuries are life-threatening emergencies, their immediate transport to the hospital and prompt intervention are important. If a cardiac injury is suspected, immediately transferring the patient to the operating room without wasting time on further diagnostic tests can be life-saving.