Evolution of opinions on vascular trauma treatment in Polish medical literature at the turn of 19 th century

Abstract

Progress in the treatment of vascular trauma was initiated by a trend to change traditional ligation of injured vessels to their reconstruction. Initially lateral sutures were used, then circular sutures and at last reconstruction of injured vessels with venous homograft. These methods competed for decades, having many advocates and opponents. In the year 1900 it was stated that circular ligation may have a dangerous impact on organ nutrition. It was concluded that this treatment was not satisfactory and different methods of preservation of the continuous vascular system should be developed. The aim of this study is to present a survey of Polish-language medical literature concerning vascular operative techniques from the turn of 19th century. We have listed presentations from the meetings of medical associations, original and review papers as well as published Polish translations of foreign scientific papers. In the beginning ligation seemed to be the best treatment of haemorrhage or posttraumatic aneurysm. The existing method of reconstruction with venous homograft was not commonly performed. When the idea of reconstruction with a venous graft was commonly accepted the main topic of discussion remained the size of the venous graft. In Poland Romuald Weglowski introduced this method of reconstruction. It should be strongly emphasized that this problem was widely presented in Polish medical literature from the end of 19^th century, which formed the origins of modern Polish vascular surgery.