Damage control surgery for severe thoracic and abdominal injuries

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Surgical Critical Care
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Severe thoracic and abdominal injuries present significant management challenges.
• Damage control surgery (DCS) is an evolving strategy for critically injured patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the application and outcomes of damage control surgery in patients with severe thoracic and abdominal trauma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 37 patients with severe thoracic and abdominal injuries undergoing DCS.
• Included polytrauma and single abdominal trauma cases with diverse organ damage.
• Utilized arteriography, arterial embolization, and staged definitive surgery.

Main Results:

• A survival rate of 75.68% (28 out of 37 patients) was achieved.
• Early deaths were attributed to primary injury severity; late deaths resulted from multi-organ failure.
• Complications included abdominal compartment syndrome, intestinal fistulae, and gallbladder gangrene.

Conclusions:

• Damage control surgery is a vital approach for managing severe thoracic and abdominal injuries.
• Optimizing pre-operative assessment and judicious timing of DCS and definitive surgery are recommended.