Trends in Blunt Splenic Injury Management: The Rise of Splenic Artery Embolization

Splenic injury is common in blunt trauma. We sought to evaluate the injury characteristics and outcomes of BSI admitted over a 10-y period to an academic trauma center.

A retrospective review of adult blunt splenic injury patients admitted between January 2009 and September 2018.

The 423 patients meeting inclusion criteria were divided by management: Observational (OBS, n = 261), splenic surgery (n = 114 including 4 splenorrhaphy patients), SAE (n = 43), and multiple treatment modalities (3 had SAE followed by surgery and 2 OBS patients underwent splenic surgery at readmission). The most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle collision (47.8%). The median ISS (OBS 17, SAE 22, Surgery 34) and spleen AIS (OBS 2, SAE 3, Surgery 4) were significantly different.  Complication rates (OBS 21.8%, SAE 9.3%, Surgery 45.6%) rates were significantly different, but mortality (OBS 7.3%, SAE 2.3%, Surgery 13.2%), discharge to home and readmission rates were not. Additional abdominal injuries were identified in 26.3% of the surgery group and 2.7% of OBS group. SAE rate increased from 3.0% to 28%; median spleen AIS remained 2-3. Thirty-five patients expired; 28 had severe head, chest, and/or extremity injuries (AIS ≥4).

SAE rates increased over time. Splenorrhaphy rates were low. SAE was associated with relatively low rates of mortality and complications in appropriately selected patients.