Great vessel and cardiac trauma.

Area of Science:

• Trauma surgery
• Cardiovascular surgery
• Thoracic surgery

Background:

• Thoracic great vessel and cardiac trauma require precise diagnosis based on injury location and mechanism (blunt or penetrating).
• Management strategies are tailored to the specific injury extent and type.
• Recent advancements in imaging and catheter-based interventions offer improved diagnostic accuracy and less invasive treatment options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the diagnosis and management of blunt aortic injuries, nonaortic great vessel injuries, blunt cardiac injuries, and penetrating cardiac injuries.
• To discuss the evolving role of endovascular techniques versus traditional open surgical repair.
• To highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach in managing complex thoracic trauma.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on diagnosis and management strategies for thoracic great vessel and cardiac trauma.
• Analysis of current imaging modalities and endovascular techniques.
• Discussion of open surgical repair as a definitive treatment.

Main Results:

• Advances in imaging and catheter-based technologies facilitate more accurate diagnosis and less-invasive treatments.
• Open surgical repair remains the definitive treatment for many significant thoracic injuries.
• Multidisciplinary team models are increasingly adopted for managing multitrauma patients.

Conclusions:

• Effective management of thoracic great vessel and cardiac trauma necessitates a comprehensive understanding of injury mechanisms and anatomical locations.
• A combination of advanced diagnostic tools, less-invasive interventions, and traditional surgery, guided by a multidisciplinary approach, optimizes patient outcomes.
• Continued evolution of treatment strategies balances technological advancements with established surgical principles.