Damage control surgical management of combined small and large bowel injuries in penetrating trauma: Are ostomies still pertinent?

Colomb Med (Cali). 2021 Apr 27;52(2):e4114425. doi: 10.25100/cm.v52i2.4425.

Abstract

Hollow viscus injuries represent a significant portion of overall lesions sustained during penetrating trauma. Currently, isolated small or large bowel injuries are commonly managed via primary anastomosis in patients undergoing definitive laparotomy or deferred anastomosis in patients requiring damage control surgery. The traditional surgical dogma of ostomy has proven to be unnecessary and, in many instances, actually increases morbidity. The aim of this article is to delineate the experience obtained in the management of combined hollow viscus injuries of patients suffering from penetrating trauma. We sought out to determine if primary and/or deferred bowel injury repair via anastomosis is the preferred surgical course in patients suffering from combined small and large bowel penetrating injuries. Our experience shows that more than 90% of all combined penetrating bowel injuries can be managed via primary or deferred anastomosis, even in the most severe cases requiring the application of damage control principles. Applying this strategy, the overall need for an ostomy (primary or deferred) could be reduced to less than 10%.

El trauma de las vísceras huecas representa una gran proporción de las lesiones asociadas al trauma penetrante. Actualmente, las lesiones aisladas de intestino delgado o colon se manejan a través de anastomosis primaria en pacientes sometidos a laparotomía definitiva o anastomosis diferida en pacientes que requieran cirugía de control de daños. El dogma quirúrgico tradicional de la ostomía se ha probado que es innecesario y en muchos casos puede aumentar la morbilidad. El objetivo de este artículo es describir la experiencia obtenida en el manejo de lesiones combinadas de vísceras huecas de pacientes con trauma penetrante. Se determinó que el manejo primario o diferido del intestino a través de anastomosis es el abordaje quirúrgico preferido en pacientes que presentan lesiones penetrantes combinadas de intestino delgado y colon. Se ha reportado que el 90% de lesiones combinadas penetrantes intestinales pueden ser manejadas a través de anastomosis primaria o diferida incluso en los casos más severos requieren la aplicación de los principios de control de daños. Aplicando esta estrategia, la tasa general para ostomía (primaria o diferida) puede ser reducida a menos del 10%.

Keywords: Anastomotic Leak; Damage Control Surgery; Deferred Anastomosis; Definitive Laparotomy; Fistula; Injury Severity Score; Laparotomy; Ostomy; Penetrating Combined Small and Large Bowel Injuries; Primary Anastomosis; Surgical Anastomosis.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anastomosis, Surgical / methods*
  • Colombia
  • Consensus*
  • Enterostomy* / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Hemorrhage / etiology
  • Hemorrhage / surgery
  • Humans
  • Intestine, Large / injuries*
  • Intestine, Large / surgery
  • Intestine, Small / injuries*
  • Intestine, Small / surgery
  • Laparotomy
  • Male
  • Medical Illustration
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Wounds, Gunshot / complications
  • Wounds, Gunshot / surgery
  • Wounds, Penetrating / classification
  • Wounds, Penetrating / complications
  • Wounds, Penetrating / surgery*
  • Young Adult