Complications of nonoperative management of blunt hepatic injuries

Few, if any, complications have been reported with the nonoperative management of selected hepatic injuries diagnosed by computed tomographic (CT) scan in hemodynamically stable patients. This retrospective study was designed to evaluate complications associated with this form of management. Twenty-six patients (21%) of 128 patients with blunt hepatic injuries were treated nonoperatively over a 3-year period. All patients were hemodynamically stable at the time of admission and had hepatic injuries identified by CT scans of the abdomen. Five patients (19%) developed complications associated with nonoperative therapy. Of these, two patients had minor hepatic injuries (grades 1-2) and three had major (grades 3-5) hepatic injuries. Two patients (one with minor and one with major hepatic injury), developed free intraperitoneal biliary leaks and required operative repair. Three patients (one with minor and two with major hepatic injuries) developed large subcapsular bilomas with resultant hepatic dysfunction. These patients were successfully managed with percutaneous CT-guided drainage. There were no deaths in our study population with nonoperative therapy. The complications of hepatic injuries initially managed by expectant observation were treated operatively or by percutaneous CT-guided drainage. Repeated CT evaluation to follow the progress of liver fracture and the occasional use of hepatobiliary scans for the identification of biliary leaks have proven useful in our experience.