Outcomes of selective surgery in patients with suspected small bowel injury from blunt trauma

The role of initial conservative therapy with selective surgery for patients with suspected blunt bowel injury by radiologic evaluation is less clear. The aim of the study is to assess the outcomes of patients who received initial conservative therapy with selective delayed surgery, compared to emergency surgery.

During this 8-year study, a total of 77 patients who were hemodynamically stable were enrolled, in which computed tomography verified suspected bowel injury from blunt trauma (mesenteric hematoma, mesenteric fat infiltration, bowel wall thickening, and free fluid without solid organ injury) was managed with either initial conservative therapy with selective delayed surgery (group A; n = 42) or emergency surgery (group B; n = 35). The clinical outcomes including the rate of negative or nontherapeutic exploration and postoperative complications, between the groups were compared.

The enrolled patients had a mean age of 41 years including 51 men and 26 women. No difference in the clinical characteristics was found between the groups. In group A, 18 patients underwent delayed surgery and 24 recovered without surgery. Among patients who underwent surgery, 3 (17%) underwent negative or nontherapeutic explorations. In group B, 13 (37%) underwent negative or nontherapeutic explorations. Postoperative complications occurred in 21 patients and there was no difference between the groups.

Initial conservative therapy with selective delayed surgery did not increased severe postoperative complications and had a low rate of negative or nontherapeutic surgical explorations in hemodynamically stable patients with suspected blunt bowel injury.