Management outcomes in splenic injury: a statewide trauma center review.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical pathways now highlight both observation and operation as acceptable initial therapeutic options for the management of patients with splenic injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment trends for splenic injury in all North Carolina trauma centers over a 6-year period. METHODS: Splenic injuries in adults over a 6-year period (January 1988-December 1993) were identified in the North Carolina Trauma Registry using ICD-9-CM codes. Patients were divided into four groups by method of management: 1) no spleen operation, 2) splenectomy, 3) definitive splenorrhaphy, and 4) splenorrhaphy failure followed by splenectomy. The authors examined age, mechanism of injury, admitting blood pressure, and severity of injury by trauma score and injury severity score. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Comparisons were made between adult (17-64 years of age) and geriatric (older than 65 years of age) patients and between patients with blunt and penetrating injury. Resource utilization (length of stay, hospital charges) and outcome (mortality) were compared. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred fifty-five patients were identified with splenic injury. Rate of splenic preservation increased over time and was achieved in more than 50% of patients through nonoperative management (40%) and splenorrhaphy (12%). Splenorrhaphy was not used commonly in either blunt or penetrating injury. Overall mortality was 13%. Geriatric patients had a higher mortality and resource utilization regardless of their mechanism of injury or method of management. CONCLUSIONS: Nonoperative management represents the prevailing method of splenic preservation in both the adult and geriatric population in North Carolina trauma center hospitals. Satisfactory outcomes and economic advantages accompany nonoperative management in this adult population.

Splenic salvage in adults at a level II community hospital trauma center.

Recognition of the important role of the spleen within the immune system has prompted surgeons to regularly consider splenic preservation. We studied our experience at a Level II trauma center to determine whether this trend is reflected in our management. We reviewed 81 adult blunt trauma patients with splenic injury admitted between January 1988 and December 1993. We examined age, race, and clinical data including mechanism of injury, trauma and injury severity scores, organ injury scale (OIS) grade, admitting blood pressure, operations, length of stay, hospital charges, and outcome. Thirty-nine patients underwent immediate splenectomy. Nonoperative treatment was successful in 31 of 37 patients (83.7%). Mean OIS grade (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma) was significantly different between patients treated nonoperatively (1.6 +/- 0.9) and patients treated with immediate splenectomy (3.9 +/- 1.1), (P = <0.001). American Association for the Surgery of Trauma OIS grade correlated well between CT classification and classification at operation (r = 0.7, P = 0.0001) but did not predict success in nonoperative management. Hemodynamic stability, injury severity, and abdominal CT scan findings determine choice of therapy. Splenorrhaphy is frequently discussed but infrequently performed. Splenectomy remains the most commonly performed operation for splenic injury in adults with blunt splenic trauma. Nonoperative management is the most common method of splenic salvage at the Level II community hospital trauma center.

Laparoscopic excision of a benign gastric tumor.

A successful laparoendoscopic excision of a 3-cm leiomyoma of the stomach is reported. Review of related literature and suggested technique and methods for this procedure are described.