Emergent stent graft isolation of a knife-related subclavian arterial venous fistula: lessons learned during long-term follow-up.

We present the unusual case of a 42-year-old gentleman who entered the trauma center with a hemothorax and intermittent bright red pulsatile blood from three stab wounds in the ipsilateral supraclavicular fossa. The patient was found on emergent angiography to have a large right subclavian artery to vein fistula that was treated successfully with a Dacron-covered stent. Angiography, 2 years following stent-graft isolation, confirmed a durable result with evidence of hemodynamically insignificant neointimal growth through the pores of the graft material. This case provides insight into the long-term effects of a Dacron-covered stent in patients with traumatic arterial injury. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of different graft materials based on these angiographic findings.
(Copyright (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)