Trauma Hybrid Operating Room (THOR) shortened procedure time in abdominopelvic trauma patients requiring surgery and interventional radiology procedures

Abdominopelvic injuries are common, and bleeding occurring in both cavities requires various bleeding control techniques i.e., laparotomy, angiographic embolization (AE), and orthopedic fixation. Hence, the use of Trauma Hybrid Operating Room (THOR) in abdominopelvic injuries has theoretical advantages including rapid bleeding control and minimizing patient transportation. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the impact of THOR in abdominopelvic injuries.

A pre-post intervention study of abdominopelvic injury patients requiring both surgery and interventional radiology (IR) procedures for bleeding control from January 2015 to May 2020 was conducted. The patients were divided into 2 groups, pre-THOR group (received surgery in OR and scheduled for IR procedures in a separate IR suite, before December 2017) and THOR group (received all procedures in THOR, after December 2017). The primary outcomes were procedure time (including transit time in the pre-THOR group) and mortality.

Ninety-one abdominopelvic trauma patients were identified during the study period, 56 patients in pre-THOR group and 35 patients in THOR group. Distribution of injuries was similar in both groups (59 abdominal injuries, 25 pelvic fractures, and 7 combined injuries). The bleeding-control interventions in both groups were 79 laparotomies, 10 preperitoneal pelvic packings, 12 pelvic fixations, 45 liver AEs, and 21 pelvic AEs. THOR group underwent significantly less thoracotomy (1 vs. 11, p = 0.036), more resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA, 0 vs. 5, p = 0.014), and more pelvic AE (13 vs. 9, p = 0.043). The procedure time was significantly shorter in THOR group (153 min vs. 238 min, p = 0.030). Excluding the transit time in the pre-THOR group, procedure time was not significantly different (153 vs. 154 min, p = 0.872). Both groups had similar mortality rates of 34%, but the mortality due to exsanguination was significantly lower in THOR group (11% vs. 34%, p = 0.026).

THOR eliminated transit time, resulting in shorter procedure time in abdominopelvic trauma patients requiring bleeding-control intervention. Although overall mortality reduction could not be demonstrated, the mortality due to exsanguination was reduced in THOR group.