Sylvain Rigal

Damage control orthopaedics in the context of battlefield injuries: the use of temporary external fixation on combat trauma soldiers.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of temporary external fixation within the perspective of a damage control orthopedics attitude in the management of battlefield extremity injuries. HYPOTHESIS Damage control orthopaedics (DCO) is a valuable treatment option for easy and rapid limb fracture stabilization in an unfavorable surgical environment. METHODS Sixteen French soldiers wounded on the battlefield between 2004 and 2009 and managed by damage control orthopedics were included in this retrospective series. All patients were males with a mean age of 30 years (20-53 years). Eighteen external fixators were applied on the theater of operations for multiple injuries (five cases), closed fractures of the pelvis or long bones (three cases) and open osteoarticular lesions (ten cases). RESULTS After medical evacuation from original theater, conversion to internal fixation was possible in five cases. External fixation was maintained in thirteen cases due to the severity of the lesions or infectious complications. Bone union was achieved in all cases. The mean time for bone union was 2.8 months (2 to 3 months) in case of conversion to internal fixation, and 6.3 months (1.5 to 17 months) when external fixation was extended. To achieve bone union, three devices were removed after a three or four month period and converted to rigid internal fixation associated with bone grafting. No case of septic complication was observed after early conversion. The only case of post-conversion infection occurred after three months of external fixation. After a mean follow-up of 19 months (6 to 49 months) all patients recovered functional autonomy and thirteen could return to duty. CONCLUSION When possible, early conversion from external to internal fixation improves bone union and functional recovery after war limb injuries in properly selected patients.

Extremity amputation: how to face challenging problems in a precarious environment

PurposeIndications for amputation in natural disasters are not the same compared to our daily practice. They must be determined by those with great surgical experience and good knowledge of military or disaster surgical doctrine. Unfortunately, nowadays few surgeons have this experience. In fact, some volunteer surgeons may be interested in providing care for civilian victims of war or disaster in developing countries. However, there are significant differences between the type and the management of cases seen in this context versus those seen at home. The problems of amputations cannot be solved schematically. Amputation will depend on several factors: the form of warfare or disaster, the conditions for surgery, the skill of the surgical team and the experience of the surgeon, and the length or duration of the mission.MethodsHere is a schematic showing the three main situations: civilian practice, war practice and disaster context. These three different situations require different strategies for treating the wounded and for making amputation decisions.ResultsIn the case of a natural disaster, there are many wounded civilians, they arrive at the medical facility late and there is usually only one surgeon and a single, limited medical facility to provide all treatment. He must make quick, wise choices, economising limited blood supplies and the use of surgical procedures. The decision to proceed with limb salvage or amputation for patients with severely injured limbs will be a source of continued debate. Amputation, radical and irreversible intervention, is a frequent and essential procedure in the disaster context and one of the standard means to successful treatment of limb wounds.ConclusionsWe propose to reflect on the following questions: why to amputate, how to perform amputation under these conditions and how to pass on a doctrine to the voluntary surgeons who lack experience in a disaster context.

Temporary and definitive external fixation of war injuries: use of a French dedicated fixator

PurposeExternal fixation is the recommended stabilization method for both open and closed fractures of long bones in forward surgical hospitals. Specific combat surgical tactics are best performed using dedicated external fixators. The Percy Fx© (Biomet) fixator was developed for this reason by the French Army Medical Service, and has been used in various theatres of operations for more than ten years.MethodsThe tactics of Percy Fx© (Biomet) fixator use were analysed in two different situations: for the treatment of French soldiers wounded on several battlefields and then evacuated to France and for the management of local nationals in forward medical treatment facilities in Afghanistan and Chad.ResultsOverall 48 externals fixators were implanted on 37 French casualties; 28 frames were temporary and converted to definitive rigid frames or internal fixation after medical evacuation. The 77 Afghan patients totalled 85 external fixators, including 13 temporary frames applied in Forward Surgical Teams (FSTs) prior to their arrival at the Kabul combat support hospital. All of the 47 Chadian patients were treated in a FST with primary definitive frames because of delayed surgical management and absence of higher level of care in Chad.ConclusionTemporary frames were mostly used for French soldiers to facilitate strategic air medical evacuation following trauma damage control orthopaedic principles. Definitive rigid frames permitted achieving treatment of all types of war extremity injuries, even in poor conditions.

The French Advanced Course for Deployment Surgery (ACDS) called Cours Avancé de Chirurgie en Mission Extérieure (CACHIRMEX): history of its development and future prospects

Introduction The composition of a French Forward Surgical Team (FST) has remained constant since its creation in the early 1950s: 12 personnel, including a general and an orthopaedic surgeon. The training of military surgeons, however, has had to evolve to adapt to the growing complexities of modern warfare injuries in the context of increasing subspecialisation within surgery. The Advanced Course for Deployment Surgery (ACDS)—called Cours Avancé de Chirurgie en Mission Extérieure (CACHIRMEX)—has been designed to extend, reinforce and adapt the surgical skill set of the FST that will be deployed. Methods Created in 2007 by the French Military Health Service Academy (Ecole du Val-de-Grâce), this annual course is composed of five modules. The surgical knowledge and skills necessary to manage complex military trauma and give medical support to populations during deployment are provided through a combination of didactic lectures, deployment experience reports and hands-on workshops. Results The course is now a compulsory component of initial surgical training for junior military surgeons and part of the Continuous Medical Education programme for senior military surgeons. From 2012, the standardised content of the ACDS paved the way for the development of two more team-training courses: the FST and the Special Operation Surgical Team training. The content of this French military original war surgery course is described, emphasising its practical implications and future prospects. Conclusion The military surgical training needs to be regularly assessed to deliver the best quality of care in an context of evolving modern warfare casualties.

French surgical experience in the role 3 medical treatment facility of KaIA (Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan): the place of the orthopedic surgery.

INTRODUCTION In 2009, the French took command of the Medical Hospital (MH) or Role 3 Hospital at KaIA (Kabul International Airport) within the framework of its role in the military mission Operation Pamir in Afghanistan. The goal of this study was to analyze the volume of orthopedic surgical activity for the last four years, to identify its specificities and to improve training of military orthopedic surgeons. HYPOTHESIS Orthopedic surgery is the most important activity in the field and surgeons must adapt to situations and injuries that are different from those encountered in France. PATIENTS AND METHODS All patients operated on between July 2009 and June 2013 were prospectively included in an electronic database. The analysis included the number of surgical acts and patients, the types of injuries and the surgical procedures. RESULTS Forty-three percent (n=1875) of 4318 procedures involved orthopedic surgery. Half of these were emergencies. French military personnel represented 17% of the patients, local civilians 47% and children 17%. Half of the procedures involved the soft tissues, 20% were for bone fixation and 10% for surgery of the hand. The rate of amputation was 6%. The diversity of the surgical acts was high ranging from emergency surgery to surgical reconstruction. DISCUSSION The activity of this Role 3 facility is comparable to that of other Role 3 facilities in Afghanistan, with an important percentage of acts involving medical assistance to the local population and scheduled surgeries as well as primary and/or secondary management of the wounded. The diversity of surgical acts confirms the challenge of training military orthopedic surgeons within the context of the hyperspecialization of the civilian sector. Specific training has been organized in France by the École du Val de Grâce. Specific continuing education is also necessary. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV (retrospective review).

Modern teaching of military surgery: why and how to prepare the orthopaedic surgeons before deployment? The French experience.

PurposeImproved survival of combat casualties in modern conflicts is especially due to early access to damage control resuscitation and surgery in forward surgical facilities. In the French Army, these small mobile units are staffed with one general surgeon and one orthopaedic surgeon who must be able to perform any kind of trauma or non trauma emergency surgery.MethodsThis concept of forward surgery requires a solid foundation in general surgery which is no longer provided by the current surgical programs due to an early specialization of the residents. Obviously a specific training is needed in war trauma due to the special pathology and practice, but also in humanitarian care which is often provided in military field facilities.ResultsTo meet that demand the French Military Health Service Academy created an Advanced Course for Deployment Surgery (ACDS), also called CACHIRMEX (Cours Avancé de CHIRurgie en Mission EXtérieure). Since 2007 this course is mandatory for young military surgeons before their first deployment. Orthopaedic trainees are particularly interested in learning war damage control orthopaedic tactics, general surgery life-saving procedures and humanitarian orthopaedic surgery principles in austere environments.ConclusionAdditional pre-deployment training was recently developed to improve the preparation of mobile surgical teams, as well as a continuing medical education for any active-duty or reserve surgeon to be deployed.

Wartime upper extremity injuries: experience from the Kabul International Airport combat support hospital.

Few epidemiologic studies have been published about the surgical management of wartime upper extremity injuries (UEIs). The purpose of the present report was to analyze upper extremity combat-related injuries (CRIs) and non-combat related injuries (NCRIs) treated in the Kabul International Airport Combat Support Hospital. A retrospective study was conducted using the French surgical database OpEX (French military health service) from June 2009 to January 2013. During this period, 491 patients with a mean age of 28.7 ± 13 years were operated on because of an UEI. Among them, 244 (49.7%) sustained CRIs and 247 (50.3%) sustained NCRIs. A total number of 558 UEIs were analyzed. Multiple UEIs and associated injuries were significantly more common in the CRIs group. Debridement was the most common procedure in both groups. External fixator application, delayed primary closure and flap coverage were predominant in the CRIs group, as well as internal fracture fixation and tendon repair in the NCRIs group. The overall number of surgical episodes was significantly higher in the CRIs group. Due to the high frequency of UEIs in the theatres of operations, deployed orthopedic surgeons should be trained in basic hand surgery. Although the principles of CRIs treatment are well established, management of hand NCRIs remains controversial in this setting.

Initial Deployment of the 14th Parachutist Forward Surgical Team at the Beginning of the Operation Sangaris in Central African Republic

As part of the operation Sangaris begun in December 2013 in the Central African Republic, the 14th Parachutist Forward Surgical Team (FST) was deployed to support French troops. The FST (role 2 in the NATO classification) is a mobile surgical-medical treatment facility. The main goal of the FST is to assure the initial damage control surgery and resuscitation for combat casualties, allowing for the early evacuation to combat support hospitals (roles 3 or 4), where further treatments are completed. During the first trimester of the operation Sangaris, 42 patients were treated at FST, of whom 29 underwent surgery. Almost 50% of patients operated on were French servicemen. All admissions were emergency admissions. Orthopedic surgery represented two-thirds of surgical interventions executed as a result of the high proportion of limb injuries. Fifty percent of injuries were specifically linked to combat. Surgery in an FST is primarily dedicated to the treatment of combat casualties with hemorrhagic injuries, but additionally plays a part in supporting general medical care of French troops. Medical aid to the general civilian population is justifiable because of the presence of medical treatment facilities, even in the initial implementation of a military operation.

Multiple blast extremity injuries: is definitive treatment achievable in a field hospital for local casualties?

PurposeThe objective of this report was to analyse injury patterns and definitive management of local casualties with multiple blast extremity injuries in the Kabul International Airport Combat Support Hospital.MethodsA clinical prospective study was performed from July 2012 to January 2013. Afghan victims of a blast trauma with a minimum of two extremities injured and an Injury Severity Score (ISS) greater than 8 were included. Two groups were considered for analysis: group A including patients with amputations and group LS including patients with limb salvage procedures.ResultsDuring this period 19 patients were included with a total of 57 extremity injuries. There were six patients in group A and 13 patients in group LS, with a mean number of injuries of 3.5 and 2.8, respectively. The ISS, blood products utilization and overall time of surgery were significantly greater in group A.ConclusionReconstruction of multiple blast extremity injuries may be achieved in a field hospital despite limited resources and operational constraints. However, this activity requires the utilization of significant supplies and major investment from the caregivers deployed.

Humanitarian Surgical Care Provided by a French Forward Surgical Team: Ten Years of Providing Medical Support to the Population of the Ivory Coast

INTRODUCTION The aims of this study were as follows: first to quantify and review the types of surgical procedures performed by military surgeons assigned to a Forward Surgical Team (FST) providing medical support to the population (MSP) in the Ivory Coast (IC), and second to analyze how this MSP was achieved. METHODS Between 2002 and 2012, all of the local nationals operated on by the different FSTs deployed in the IC were included in the study. The surgical activity was analyzed and divided into surgical specialties, war wounds, nonwar emergency trauma, nontrauma emergencies, and elective surgery. Demographics, circumstances of health care management, wounded organs, and types of surgical procedures were described. RESULTS Over this period, surgeons operated on 2,315 patients and performed 2,556 procedures. Elective surgery accounted for 78.7% of the surgical activity, nontrauma emergencies accounted for 12.7%, nonwar emergency trauma accounted for 8%, and war wounds accounted for 0.6%. The main surgical activities were visceral (43.8%) and orthopedic (including soft tissues) surgeries (38.5%). CONCLUSION The FSTs contributed widely to MSP in the IC. This MSP required limited resources, standardization of the procedures and specific skills beyond the original surgical specialties of military surgeons to fulfill the needs of the local population.