What is a vascular shunt?

Vascular shunting is a temporary implant of a small hollow plastic tube into a healthy section of an injured blood vessel to restore blood flow in the area before a permanent repair is made, according to TechLink. The shunt is removed before the permanent repair is made.

Extreme vascular injury results in hemorrhaging, restriction of blood flow or other life-threatening injury. A vascular shunt allows the condition of the blood vessel to improve while awaiting surgical repair. Vascular shunting is widely used in age-related vascular constrictions resulting in vascular disease, says TechLink. The U.S. Air Force has devised a variation that allows this procedure to be performed during military maneuvers and on severe injuries suffered by soldiers and civilians.