Introduction: Endovascular technology during the past decade has introduced innovative strategies to manage vascular trauma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current use catheter-based endovascular damage-control techniques (CDET) in North, Central, and South America.
Methods: A survey was sent to the presidents of local societies in Latin America, members of the board, and past presidents of the Pan-American Trauma Society. The survey was sent using the Research Electronic Data Capture collection tool.
Results: A total of 67 surveys were sent with an 85 % response rate. Surgeons from 15 countries participated in the survey. All of the centers in North America had capabilities to perform these procedures. In none of these centers, however, were they performed by trauma and acute care surgeons. In Central and South America, 64 % of the surgeons responded that they have an interventional radiology service, and in 56 % of the cases, trauma and acute care surgeons were already performing CDET. Eight-eight percent of those surveyed thought that the addition of CDET to trauma would improve patient care; 86 % would be interested in further training in this technique if such programs were available. Finally, 68 % thought that the addition of CDET would help the field of acute care surgery and trauma financially.
Conclusions: CDET is being performed already by trauma and acute care surgeons in Latin American countries. More research is necessary to evaluate the role of the trauma surgeon in the endovascular suite as well as training requirements.