Abstract

Early repair of axillary artery injuries is a key decision that can minimize the potential for mortality and severe morbidities. The authors report two cases of major traumas of the shoulder that lead to axillary artery injuries. The case 1 is a 30 years old police man who presented explosion of the left axillary artery due to gunshot. A revascularization Dacron tube was successfully performed. The case 2 was aged 36 years old and was an engineer. He suffered from traumatic section of the right axillary artery that happened during a traffic accident. An open repair with Dacron tube was performed on time. The right upper limb was preserved. Axillary artery injuries occur during the violent and major traumas of the shoulder and thorax and lead to high rate of amputation of the upper limb. Now in sub-saharan Africa, under some circumstances, it is possible to successfully repair the injured axillary arteries.

Key words: Axillary artery, arterial wound, vascular surgery, Burkina Faso.