The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1901-06-13

Impossible-Dr. KaIntsky Cuts Away
About Four Inches n Artery.
Surgery has reached a point at which
almost any marvel may be expected,
but it has remained for a Russian sur
fOrming-an operation hitherto
garded fatty impossible He has
repaired the great femora1 artery; has
spliced on to it an artificial length,
just as plumber might solder piece
of 1eaden pipe to a brass one. The
better to comprehend exactly how rad
ica1 and difficult a thing DR.. Kaintsky
accomplished it is necessary to explain
something of the nature and functions
of arteries In the first place an ar
terry differs entirely from a vein. If
vein is cut the blood escapes for
while and after a little the vessel
lies fat and collapsed. An artery does
not Its inner coat is arran ged that
a series of stiff f1brous rings surround
it and prevent it from co1lapsing That
is one of the reasons why when an ar
terry is severed blood continues to flow
from it. These were only some of the
problems which confronted Dr. KANT
sky when they brought to his hospital
in St Petersburg a very rich farmer
and cattle raiser named Ivan Poitin-
kosh- This man, while driving in
sleigh, had collided with stump.
Poitinkosh was hurled out violently
and in falling was practically impa1ed
upon a broken branch. The jagged
piece of wood struck him just below
the hip joint and ranged down for
about four inches. The wound pro-
duced was an exceedingly ugly and
ragged one. 1t was directly over and
in line with the fermoral artery,
which supplies the entire leg with
blood; but, although this great vessel
was entirely laid bare and badly
q
ture. The injured man was not
brought to the hospital until three
days after the accident, and it was at
once evident to Dr. Kaintsky that only
heroic measures would save either life
or leg to his patient. 1t appeared to
DR.. Kaintsky that gangrene was
threatened. AS nearly the surgeon
could estimate he had just three days
before operation became absolutely
imperative He had already determined
upon the heroic operation of removing
the injured part of the femOra1 artery
and replacing it with an artificial sub
stitute. DR.. Kaintsky wanted to make
a tube six inches long which so closely
resemble the actual tissue of a human
artery that it would be borne without
protest by the organism in which it
was to be placed At the end of those
three days DIR. Kaintsky, tired but
triumphant, emerged from his labora-
tory. Poitinkosh anaesthetized
and carried to the operating table.
DR.. Kaints1y pointed out to the watch
ing surgeons and students the signs
on the foot of the patient that. marked
the onset of gangrene, and then he told
them that he intended to remove part
of the injured artery and replace it
with artificial substitute. Under
the best conditions the dissection of
the femoral artery is dangerous piece
of work, and here was a case where
the vessel was almost concealed by in
jured tissues. At last the artery was
dering assistants that nearly four
inches of the vessel was ready to dis
integrate. All eyes watched DR..
Kaintsky he himself placed clamps
upon the big artery. The artery clamp
having been fixed, DR.. KaiEtsky cut
away about four inches of the artery
| From the pocket in front of his oper-
ating gown DR.. Kaintsky drew a silver
| aseptic case This he opened and from
| it drew a small, hollow, elastic, almost
| co1orless tube about five inches long.
| Almost imediately DR.. KaintSky began
| to place the artificial artery in posi-
| ton. He drew it between his fingers
| so as to expe1 all air and placed a
| pair of artery fOrcepS upon one end
| Then he slipped one end of the artery
| into the tube and stitched it into place
| Quickly the same procedure was car
| ried on at the other end, and then DR.
| Kaintsky removed the clamp which
was holding back the blood from the
mended artery. The blood rushed
| through its new channel, pumping out
| the collapsed tube, and it was actually
| difficult to tell the artificial artery
| from the real one. At the same in
slant, too. good healthy pu1sation
| could be felt in the patients ankle
PhiIadR1nhia Times