CT imaging of clinically significant abdominopelvic injuries in the damage control surgery patient

Purpose: Damage Control Surgery (DCS) refers to a staged laparotomy performed in patients who have suffered severe blunt or penetrating abdominopelvic trauma with the goal of managing critical injuries while avoiding life threatening metabolic derangements. Within 24 h of the initial laparotomy, computed tomography (CT) is used to assess the full extent of injuries. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of clinically significant unknown abdominopelvic injuries which required further dedicated surgical or interventional radiology management and failed surgical repairs identified on CT following initial laparotomy.

Methods: CT findings were correlated with surgical findings from the initial and subsequent staged laparotomy to determine known and unknown injuries. Frequency and percentage analyses was performed.

Results: Out of 63 patients who underwent DCS with an open abdomen following initial laparotomy and subsequent CT within 24 h, a total of 13 clinically significant abdominopelvic injuries were identified in 12 patients. Seven clinically significant injuries were identified in seven patients (11.1% of patients) in surgically explored areas. Six clinically significant injuries were identified in six patients (9.5%) in surgically unexplored areas. Four instances of failed initial surgical repair were identified in four patients (6.3%) involving the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Overall, 23.8% of the DCS patient population had an actionable finding on the post laparotomy CT.

Conclusion: CT demonstrated value for identifying the extent of clinically significant abdominopelvic injuries and evidence of failed initial surgical repair, which informed surgical planning for subsequent laparotomy. The authors advocate for performing CT in post-DCS patients with an open abdomen as soon as possible following correction of metabolic and hemodynamic derangements.