Simple and safe packing method for high-grade liver injuries

Area of Science:

• Trauma surgery
• Hepatobiliary surgery
• Surgical innovation

Background:

• Liver injury is a major cause of death in trauma patients.
• Gauze packing is a common method for controlling hemorrhage in severe liver injuries.
• Conventional gauze packing can lead to complications such as pad-induced damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel three-layer packing technique using OpSite sheets for severe liver injuries.
• To compare the efficacy and safety of this new method against conventional gauze packing.
• To reduce complications associated with gauze pack removal.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 20 male patients with grade IV or V liver injuries.
• Ten patients received conventional gauze packing, while ten received the three-layer OpSite pack.
• Packs were removed after 72 hours, with assessment for bleeding and pad-induced damage.

Main Results:

• The three-layer OpSite pack group showed significantly lower bleeding volumes (66 ± 27.01 mL) compared to the conventional gauze group (152 ± 85.4 mL).
• Pad-induced damage was observed in the conventional gauze packing group after removal.
• No significant differences in patient age or vital signs were noted between groups.

Conclusions:

• The three-layer OpSite packing method is a simple and safe alternative for managing high-grade liver injuries.
• This technique effectively reduces bleeding and minimizes iatrogenic injury during pack removal.
• It represents a promising advancement in the surgical management of severe liver trauma.