[Traumatic hemipelvectomy. Experiences with 11 cases]

With further improvements of the prehospital rescue systems, an increasing number of patients with extreme injuries such as traumatic hemipelvectomy are admitted to trauma centers alive. The accepted definition of traumatic hemipelvectomy is: unstable ligamentous or osseous hemipelvic injury with rupture of the pelvic neurovascular bundle (open or closed integuments). A review of the literature up to 1995 yielded on 48 surving cases with such an injury. A review of 2002 consecutive patients after pelvic fractures treated from 1972-1994 at the Medical School Hannover, resulted in the identification of 11 traumatic hemipelvectomies with four survivors. The purpose of the study was the analysis of the early clinical course of the patients after traumatic hemipelvectomy and the evaluation of the late outcome of the survivors. All accessible clinical and radiological data were reviewed for the preclinical and primary clinical treatment, concomitant injuries, cause of death and complications. The survivors are under continuous follow-up at our institution and were evaluated on average 5.5 years (range 2-7 years) after trauma. All patients were managed with early and aggressive shock therapy by an emergency physician, hemorrhage control with manual compression of the wound and a short transit time to a trauma center. Immediate surgical hemostasis was attempted in all cases. Despite this, four patients died within the first 4 h secondary to uncontrollable bleeding. Another three died between 2 days and 5 weeks after accident from complications of septic or hemorrhagic shock. In four patients a limb-saving procedure was attempted. Three of these died early, and in the remaining case secondary hemipelvectomy was necessary due to sepsis and paralyses. After primary surgical completion of the hemipelvectomy, three of four patients survived. The late result was good in two children and moderate in one adult (ambulatory and socially reintegrated). A bad result occurred in one male after secondary surgical completion of the hemipelvectomy (social deterioration and drug abuse). A strict protocol has to be set for the primary treatment of a traumatic hemipelvectomy. It includes immediate prehospital hemostasis by local pressure, advanced shock therapy and prompt transfer to a trauma center. In-hospital procedures include immediate surgical hemostasis and debridement. When the criteria or traumatic hemipelvectomy are fulfilled, surgical completion of the hemipelvectomy is mandatory. Limb-saving procedures endanger the patient's life. Early and frequent second-look operations minimize wound healing problems. Early psychological support for the patient and family is advantageous for personal well-being and social reintegration.