Traumatic Diaphragmatic Rupture – A Clinical Experience

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Traumatic diaphragmatic injuries arepotentially life-threatening due to herniation of abdominalorgans into the pleural cavities. They can be easily overlookedon initial diagnostics and a high index of suspicion is required.Aim: To analyse the various traumatic diaphragmatic hernias.Material and methods: A clinical study to analyse 50 patientsin our experience with patients suffering from traumaticdiaphragmatic rupture.Results: 18-50 yrs of age group is the most affected age groupwith diaphragmatic hernias, gender wise males with bluntinjuries are more in study. Right sided is the more affectedside. The cause of diaphragmatic rupture was blunt injuriesin 23 cases and penetrating injury in 5 cases. 3 patients withacute presentation had uneventful recovery, 2 patients had bileperitonitis and one died. In the cases with late presentation, allpatients had uneventful recovery but for 9 patients who hadintestinal obstruction. On the 6th.post-op day, one patient with–acute intestinal obstruction and sepsis, died.Conclusions: Morbidity and mortality of diaphragmaticruptures are mainly determined by associated injuries orcomplications of diaphragmatic herniation like incarcerationof viscera or lung failure. Early diagnosis helps to preventsevere complications. Laparotomy is an adequate surgicalapproach for diaphragmatic repair.