Method for prevention of damage to great saphenous vein in surgery access to internal ankle

Kukushkin Evgeni Petrovich, Midlenko Vladimir Ilyich, Midlenko Oleg Vladimirovich

Purpose of the study: to develop a method for preventing damage to the great saphenous vein (GSV) during operative access to the internal malleolus. Materials and Methods: We observed 287 patients with closed ankle fractures who were operated on at the Clinical Hospital No. 6 named after G.A. Zakharyin, Penza. Patients were initially divided into 2 groups. Group 1 - 130 patients operated on for an injury to the medial malleolus with iatrogenic damage to the great saphenous vein. group 2 - 157 people operated on using the developed method to prevent damage to the vein. In the second group, two subgroups subsequently emerged. The first subgroup: 150 people who did not have damage to the great saphenous vein and the second subgroup, where, despite the use of the method we developed, nevertheless, damage to the great saphenous vein was noted intraoperatively. Results of the study: In patients operated on for ankle fractures, using the developed method to prevent damage to the great saphenous vein, the risk of iatrogenic vascular injury was reduced by 25 times, compared with patients where this method was not used. Conclusion: The use of the method developed by us to prevent damage to the great saphenous vein significantly reduces the risk of iatrogenic injury to the vessel during surgical access to the internal malleolus.

Keywords:great saphenous vein, ankle fracture.