[STAGED ABDOMINAL REPAIR (STAR) PROCEDURES IN OUR CLlNIC]

Area of Science:

• Surgical Techniques
• Abdominal Surgery
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Staged abdominal repair (STAR) is a surgical approach for managing complex abdominal conditions.
• This method involves multiple surgical interventions to address severe pathology and allow for staged management.
• Indications for STAR can include conditions like ischemic bowel disease, perforations, and trauma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical outcomes and efficacy of staged abdominal repair (STAR) in a single institution.
• To analyze the indications, procedures, complications, and mortality associated with STAR.
• To assess the role of STAR in managing severe abdominal pathologies.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis was conducted on six patients who underwent STAR between December 1998 and January 2002.
• Data collected included reasons for surgery, surgical procedures performed, complications encountered, and patient mortality.
• Specific operative details and patient outcomes were reviewed.

Main Results:

• STAR was applied in cases of ischemic bowel disease, strangulated femoral hernia, diverticular perforation, diverticulitis with bleeding, and gunshot trauma.
• Procedures included hemicolectomies, bowel resections, ileostomies, ileotransversostomies, and Hartmann procedures.
• The median hospital stay was 28 days, with two patients experiencing pulmonary complications. One patient, a gunshot trauma victim, died postoperatively.

Conclusions:

• The decision for relaparotomy in STAR can be made pre-operatively but is finalized during surgery.
• STAR facilitates adequate debridement and peritoneal lavage.
• This approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation of anastomosis integrity during subsequent operations.