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UM Lecturer publishes an innovative life and limb saving operative procedure

Dr Matthew Joe Grima, a lecturer within the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Malta, has led a multidisciplinary team in the successful publication of a novel technical modification in a life-critical operative procedure.

The research, recently published in the prestigious (EJVES)—the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery with an impact factor of 6.8—details a complex "hybrid" approach used to treat a patient facing a life- and limb-threatening emergency.

Innovation under Pressure

The case involved a patient requiring urgent surgery due to severe bleeding from the common femoral artery, a major blood vessel in the leg. To address the complexities of the wound and the urgency of the hemorrhage, Dr Grima and the team developed a technical modification that combined traditional surgery with advanced "key-hole" (endovascular) technique.

The successful procedure, referred to as the endoVAC hybrid technique, involved:

- Endovascular Relining: Strengthening the artery from the inside and blocking the hole in the artery using a stent introduced through a small incision.
- Advanced Wound Care: Utilizing surgical debridement and negative pressure wound therapy to clean the site and encourage healing.
- Biological Reconstruction: Performing a sartorius muscle flap to protect the repair and ensure long-term healing.

A Successful Outcome

Thanks to this innovative modification and multidisciplinary approach, the patient made a full recovery. This technique not only saved the patient’s leg from amputation but was ultimately life-saving.

The publication of this technique in a high-impact international journal highlights the University of Malta’s ongoing contribution to global surgical innovation and excellence in clinical practice.