American Doctors can now use a plastic shunt to reconnect torn blood vessels. The tube like device will connect both
ends of a severed blood vessel. It will create a
temporary bridge or shunt around the wound thereby restoring blood flow to an injured limb. Other countries are using the device successfully. The United States Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, approved the device for
military and civilian use as a stopgap measure until the victim can undergo surgery. The shunt can be implanted on the battlefield. It will help keep tissues alive by restoring blood flow thereby enabling muscles to work better. Restoration of blood flow may prevent amputation of the limb. Vascutek Ltd., of Renfrew, Scotland, makes the device. Vascutek’s parent company is Japan’s Terumo Corp. Because the device is touted as a way to help wounded soldiers on a battlefield, the FDA, expedited approval the Temporary Limb Salvage Shunt in less than a week. Typically such reviews require approximately 90 days in the USA. The device will be extremely valuable in combat situations.