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 European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (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.