Abstract
It is important to establish blood flow as soon as possible in patients with major limb amputation. Temporary intravascular shunt（TIVS）is useful to restart blood flow to the amputated limb prior to permanent vascular reconstruction and to reduce the ischemic time. We report the use of pancreatic duct tube as a TIVS.
We treated a 37-year-old man with incomplete left forearm amputation（Gustilo type III C）who was rescued using a pancreatic duct tube as a TIVS. The radial artery and ulnar artery had deficiencies of 7.5 and 5.0 cm, respectively. The pancreatic duct tube was inserted at both ends of the radial artery and blood flow was reconstructed temporarily. Surgery was performed three times in total due to thrombosis. The saphenous vein was ultimately transplanted into the radial artery. The postoperative course was good after the third surgery, and the patient is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
Pancreatic duct tube is made of flexible polyvinyl chloride, has moderate hardness, and does not twist or bend without special fixation when placed in a blood vessel. Moreover, it can be obtained easily in several sizes, making it useful as a TIVS.
