ligation

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Definition - What does ligation mean?

Ligation is a medical technique that involves tying a knot with suture thread around an artery or blood vessel to check blood flow to and from a particular site during surgical procedures. A hemostat is an implement that clamps to an artery/blood vessel, obstructing the passage of blood followed by one-hand or two-hand ties anchored with firm knots, or ligatures.

SureHire explains ligation

Doctors employ ligation as a means to limit or prevent the risk of blood clots forming during major operations. For instance, atrial fibrillation (AF) is a heart condition characterized by irregular heart rate patterns with the potential of contributing to cardiovascular disease and/or stroke. Pericardial ligation is an AF-based method used by surgeons to prevent blood clots from forming in the left atrial appendage (LAA), incorporating catheter tubes inserted at two entry points, the upper leg and below the ribcage.

Ligation generally entails noninvasive treatment, but surgical complications can develop where loose debris such as fat and tissue composites, for example, displace in the bloodstream and/or become lodged in catheter(s). The flux of red blood cells is hindered by foreign material, in particular, where the arterial wall is narrow in diameter, causing infection and/or clotting to occur. This can result in epidemiological disturbances in the body that jeopardize individual health.

Intraoperative and postoperative care is a critical aspect in sidestepping liabilities with blood clots as perceived dangers in medicine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), blood clotting makes people candidates for strokes and/or cardiovascular disease (CVD), which evidence suggests is directly related to high disability and mortality rates among employees in the workplace. While ligation is a safe modality for surgery, contingent benefits and risks remain points of interest.

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