Postoperative vascular injuries tend to involve which type of vessels?

• A. Larger arteries such as the aorta
• B. Smaller vessels like epigastric or mesenteric arteries/veins
• C. Pulmonary arteries
• D. Renal arteries

Answer: (B)

Postoperative vascular injuries in laparoscopic or abdominal surgery most often involve small-caliber vessels such as the epigastric or mesenteric arteries and veins. These vessels are encountered repeatedly during port placement and dissection, and they are relatively superficial and numerous. They are more susceptible to injury from traction, energy devices, or clip misplacement, and bleeding can be delayed or less obvious initially, leading to postoperative concerns like hematomas or slow bleeds. Large major vessels like the aorta are deeper, better protected, and injuries to them would present with immediate, life-threatening hemorrhage recognizable during the operation. Pulmonary arteries aren’t in the abdominal field, and renal arteries are involved in specific renal procedures, not typical postoperative vascular injuries. So the common pattern is injury to smaller abdominal vessels.