[Surgical management, prognostic factors, and outcome in hepatic trauma]

Hepatic trauma is a rare surgical emergency with significant morbidity and mortality. Extensive experience in liver surgery is a prerequisite for the management of these injuries. The medical records of 68 consecutive patients with hepatic trauma were retrospectively reviewed for the severity of liver injury, management, morbidity, mortality, and risk factors. Of the patients, 14 were treated conservatively and 52 surgically (24 suture/fibrin glue, 16 perihepatic packing, 11 resections, 1 liver transplantation). Two patients died just before emergency surgery could be performed. Overall mortality was 21% (14/68), and 13, 14, 6, 27, and 50% for types I, II, III, IV, and V injuries, respectively. Only nine deaths (all type IV and V) were liver related, while four were caused by extrahepatic injuries and one by concomitant liver cirrhosis. With respect to treatment, conservative management, suture, and resection had a low mortality of 0, 4, and 9%, respectively. In contrast, mortality was 47% in patients in whom only packing was performed (in severe injuries). Stepwise multivariate regression analysis proved prothrombin values <40%, ISS scores >30, and transfusion requirements of more than 10 red packed cells to be significant risk factors for post-traumatic death. Type I-III hepatic injuries can safely be treated by conservative or simple surgical means. However, complex hepatic injuries (types IV and V) carry a significant mortality and may require hepatic surgery, including liver resection or even transplantation. Therefore, patients with severe hepatic injuries should be treated in a specialized institution.