Hepatic injuries. A 1980 overview

The present-day management of hepatic injuries is reviewed in the light of experience with over 1 400 cases at Wayne State University. Mortality is now between 10% and 14%, although this is reduced to 5% if only the liver is injured. The disparity between degree of severity of trauma and severity of injury is noted, as is the trend toward a more conservative surgical approach recently. Over 90% of cases can now be managed with comparative ease and with less frequent use of drains and cannulas.