Editor's Choice -- European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) 2025 Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Vascular Trauma

Abstract

Objective: The European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) has developed clinical practice guidelines for the care of patients with vascular trauma with the aim of assisting physicians in selecting the optimal management strategy.

Methods: The guidelines are based on scientific evidence completed with expert opinion. By summarising and evaluating the best available evidence, recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of patients have been formulated. The recommendations are graded according to the ESVS evidence grading system, where the strength (class) of each recommendation is graded from I to III, and the letters A to C mark the level of evidence.

Results: A total of 105 recommendations have been issued on the following topics: general principles for vascular trauma care and resuscitation including technical skill sets, bleeding control and restoration of perfusion, graft materials, and imaging; management of vascular trauma in the neck, thoracic aorta and thoracic outlet, abdomen, and upper and lower extremities; post-operative considerations after vascular trauma; and paediatric vascular trauma. In addition, unresolved vascular trauma issues and the patients' perspectives are discussed.

Conclusion: The ESVS clinical practice guidelines provide the most comprehensive, up to date, evidence based advice to clinicians on the management of vascular trauma.