Damage control surgery in emergency general surgery: What you need to know

Area of Science:

• Surgical Management
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Damage-control surgery (DCS) initially managed trauma patients by delaying definitive repair.
• DCS principles are increasingly applied to non-traumatic intra-abdominal emergencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the history and indications of DCS in emergency general surgery (EGS).
• To detail the phases of DCS, including resuscitation, source control, temporary closure, ICU care, and abdominal wall closure.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of DCS in trauma and EGS.
• Discussion of DCS phases: preoperative resuscitation, intra-abdominal source control, temporary abdominal closure, ICU management, and abdominal wall closure.

Main Results:

• DCS has demonstrated improved outcomes in EGS, despite initial controversy.
• The strategy emphasizes "physiology over anatomy" for unstable patients.

Conclusions:

• DCS is a crucial technique for acute care surgeons managing EGS patients.
• A comprehensive understanding of DCS phases optimizes patient outcomes.