Contemporary Management of Hepatic Trauma: What IRs Need to Know

Area of Science:

• Traumatology
• Interventional Radiology
• Hepatobiliary Medicine

Background:

• Trauma is a primary cause of mortality in individuals under 45 in the US.
• Blunt trauma, often from vehicle accidents or falls, frequently injures the liver and spleen.
• Hepatic trauma is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, primarily due to hemorrhage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current evidence and contemporary management of hepatic trauma.
• To provide an interventional radiologist's perspective on treating liver injuries.
• To discuss embolization techniques, outcomes, and complications in hepatic trauma.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on hepatic trauma management.
• Focus on angiographic intervention for active hemorrhage control.
• Analysis of embolization techniques, outcomes, and complications.

Main Results:

• Angiographic intervention has become a standard treatment for hepatic trauma over the last two decades.
• Embolization is increasingly utilized for active hemorrhage in blunt and penetrating liver injuries.
• The review covers various embolization techniques and their associated results.

Conclusions:

• Interventional radiology plays a critical role in managing hepatic trauma.
• Embolization is an effective strategy for controlling hemorrhage in liver injuries.
• Understanding techniques, outcomes, and complications is essential for interventional radiologists.