Editorial commentary: Abbreviated laparotomy: advantages and disadvantages in South African practice

Abbreviated or "damage-control" laparotomy, originally developed for care of severe exsanguinating trauma, is increasingly applied to emergency general surgery (EGS). The two papers in this "debate series" are timely and practical, given South Africa's high surgical burden and variable resources, both for trauma and non-trauma.^1,2 Unlike trauma patients, EGS patients are often older, septic, and comorbid, with delayed presentation. These differences necessitate selective application rather than direct adoption of trauma protocols.