Tal M. Hörer

Tissue plasminogen activator-assisted hematoma evacuation to relieve abdominal compartment syndrome after endovascular repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Purpose To describe our experience with a novel technique to decompress abdominal compartment syndrome after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). Method From January 2003 to April 2010, 13 patients (12 men; mean age 75 years) treated for rAAA with EVAR underwent tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)–assisted decompression for intra-abdominal hypertension. All of the patients but one had intra-abdominal pressure >20 mmHg, with signs of multiple organ failure or abdominal perfusion pressure <60 mmHg. With computed tomography guidance, a drain was inserted into the retroperitoneal hematoma, and tPA solution was injected to facilitate evacuation of the coagulated hematoma and decrease the abdominal pressure. Results In the 13 patients, the mean intra-abdominal pressure decreased from 23.5 mmHg (range 12–35) to 16 mmHg (range 10–28.5). A mean 1520 mL (range 170–2900) of blood was evacuated. Urine production (mean 130 mL/h, range 50–270) increased in 7 patients at 24 hours after tPA-assisted decompression; among the 5 patients in which urine output did not increase, 3 underwent hemodialysis by the 30-day follow-up. One patient did not respond with clinical improvement and required laparotomy. The 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality was 38% (5/13 patients); none of the deaths was related to the decompression technique. Conclusion tPA-assisted decompression of abdominal compartment syndrome after EVAR can decrease the intra-abdominal pressure and could be useful in preventing multiple organ failure. It is a minimally invasive technique that can be used in selected cases but does not replace laparotomy or retroperitoneal surgical procedures as the gold standard treatments.

Pelvic trauma: WSES classification and guidelines

Complex pelvic injuries are among the most dangerous and deadly trauma related lesions. Different classification systems exist, some are based on the mechanism of injury, some on anatomic patterns and some are focusing on the resulting instability requiring operative fixation. The optimal treatment strategy, however, should keep into consideration the hemodynamic status, the anatomic impairment of pelvic ring function and the associated injuries. The management of pelvic trauma patients aims definitively to restore the homeostasis and the normal physiopathology associated to the mechanical stability of the pelvic ring. Thus the management of pelvic trauma must be multidisciplinary and should be ultimately based on the physiology of the patient and the anatomy of the injury. This paper presents the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) classification of pelvic trauma and the management Guidelines.

A case of partial aortic balloon occlusion in an unstable multi-trauma patient

The usage of aortic balloon occlusion or resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta in trauma management for bleeding control is increasing rapidly as an alternative to thoracotomy and aortic clamping. Little is known about the effects of partial occlusion of the aorta as a bridge to definitive treatment, but one of its advantages may be limited visceral organ ischemia. We describe the first known case of partial aortic balloon occlusion in trauma for reaching a targeted systolic blood pressure, which was used as an adjunctive tool in trauma management and as a bridge to definitive treatment.

Intra-peritoneal microdialysis and intra-abdominal pressure after endovascular repair of ruptured aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVES This study aims to evaluate intra-peritoneal (ip) microdialysis after endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) in patients developing intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH), requiring abdominal decompression. DESIGN Prospective study. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 16 patients with rAAA treated with an emergency EVAR were followed up hourly for intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), urine production and ip lactate, pyruvate, glycerol and glucose by microdialysis, analysed only at the end of the study. Abdominal decompression was performed on clinical criteria, and decompressed (D) and non-decompressed (ND) patients were compared. RESULTS The ip lactate/pyruvate (l/p) ratio was higher in the D group than in the ND group during the first five postoperative hours (mean 20 vs. 12), p = 0.005 and at 1 h prior to decompression compared to the fifth hour in the ND group (24 vs. 13), p = 0.016. Glycerol levels were higher in the D group during the first postoperative hours (mean 274.6 vs. 121.7 μM), p = 0.022. The IAP was higher only at 1 h prior to decompression in the D group compared to the ND group at the fifth hour (mean 19 vs. 14 mmHg). CONCLUSIONS Ip l/p ratio and glycerol levels are elevated immediately postoperatively in patients developing IAH leading to organ failure and subsequent abdominal decompression.

Intraperitoneal glycerol levels and lactate/pyruvate ratio: early markers of postoperative complications

Abstract Objective. We have previously presented microdialysis findings of early intraperitoneal (ip) metabolic disturbances, mainly an increased lactate/pyruvate (l/p) ratio, in surgical patients developing postoperative complications. The aim of the present study was to investigate ip glycerol and l/p ratio after major surgery with and without complications. Material and methods. Sixty patients were followed with microdialysis for 48 h after major abdominal surgery, 44 patients without postoperative complications and 16 patients with major surgical complications. Intraperitoneal and subcutaneous (sc) measurements of glycerol, lactate, pyruvate and glucose were performed, and the l/p ratio was calculated. Results. Intraperitoneal glycerol was significantly lower in the complication group compared with the control group (64 vs. 94.6 μM; p = 0.0015), while the ip l/p ratio was significantly higher in the complication group compared with the control group (13.7 vs. 11.1; p = 0.0073). Conclusions. In this study, ip glycerol levels were lower and ip l/p ratio was higher in the immediate postoperative period in a group of patients with complications. These results might indicate early ip disturbances in fat and carbohydrate metabolism in patients who later developed symptoms of postoperative major complications.

Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta in trauma: a systematic review of the literature

AimsResuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta has been a hot topic in trauma resuscitation during these last years. The aims of this systematic review are to analyze when, how, and where this technique is performed and to evaluate preliminary results.MethodsThe literature search was performed on online databases in December 2016, without time limits. Studies citing endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta in trauma were retrieved for evaluation.ResultsSixty-one articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected for the systematic review. Overall, they included 1355 treated with aortic endovascular balloon occlusion, and 883 (65%) patients died after the procedure. In most of the included cases, a shock state seemed to be present before the procedure. Time of death and inflation site was not described in the majority of included studies. Procedure-related and shock-related complications are described. Introducer sheath size and comorbidity seems to play the role of risk factors.ConclusionsResuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta is increasingly used in trauma victim resuscitation all over the world, to elevate blood pressure and limit fluid infusion, while other procedures aimed to stop the bleeding are performed. High mortality rate is probably due to the severity of the injuries. Time and place of balloon insertion, zone of balloon inflation, and inflation cutoff time are very heterogeneous.

Splenic trauma: WSES classification and guidelines for adult and pediatric patients

Spleen injuries are among the most frequent trauma-related injuries. At present, they are classified according to the anatomy of the injury. The optimal treatment strategy, however, should keep into consideration the hemodynamic status, the anatomic derangement, and the associated injuries. The management of splenic trauma patients aims to restore the homeostasis and the normal physiopathology especially considering the modern tools for bleeding management. Thus, the management of splenic trauma should be ultimately multidisciplinary and based on the physiology of the patient, the anatomy of the injury, and the associated lesions. Lastly, as the management of adults and children must be different, children should always be treated in dedicated pediatric trauma centers. In fact, the vast majority of pediatric patients with blunt splenic trauma can be managed non-operatively. This paper presents the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) classification of splenic trauma and the management guidelines.

Aorta Balloon Occlusion in Trauma: Three Cases Demonstrating Multidisciplinary Approach Already on Patient’s Arrival to the Emergency Room

PurposeTo describe the usage of aortic balloon occlusion (ABO), based on a multidisciplinary approach in severe trauma patients, emphasizing the role of the interventional radiologist in primary trauma care.MethodsWe briefly discuss the relevant literature, the technical aspects of ABO in trauma, and a multidisciplinary approach to the bleeding trauma patient. We describe three severely injured trauma patients for whom ABO was part of initial trauma management.ResultsThree severely injured multi-trauma patients were treated by ABO as a bridge to surgery and embolization. The procedures were performed by an interventional radiologist in the early stages of trauma management.ConclusionsThe interventional radiologist and the multidisciplinary team approach can be activated already on severe trauma patient arrival. ABO usage and other endovascular methods are becoming more widely spread, and can be used early in trauma management, without delay, thus justifying the early activation of this multidisciplinary approach.

Plugging and sealing technique by Onyx to prevent type II endoleak in ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

Control of back bleeding from the hypogastric artery into the aneurysm after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of a ruptured aortoiliac aneurysm may be necessary in order to avoid a type II endoleak. It is an emergency situation and selective catheterization and embolization of the hypogastric artery may be time-consuming and more importantly, it has to be performed before complete exclusion of the aneurysm has been established. We describe a plugging and sealing technique that embolizes the hypogastric artery after the exclusion of a ruptured aortoiliac aneurysm using the embolizing agent Onyx. The mortality rate of the 16 patients treated in our institute with this technique was 25% (4/16) at 30-day and 31% (5/16) at 90-day follow up. One patient had a type II endoleak at one-year follow-up. The EVAR procedure can focus completely on controlling the acute life-threatening situation, with the embolization performed at the end of the procedure.

Field and en route resuscitative endovascular occlusion of the aorta: A feasible military reality?

BACKGROUND Severe noncompressible torso hemorrhage remains a leading cause of potentially preventable death in modern military conflicts. Resuscitative endovascular occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) has demonstrated potential as an effective adjunct to the treatment of noncompressible torso hemorrhage in the civilian early hospital and even prehospital settings—but the application of this technology for military prehospital use has not been well described. We aimed to assess the feasibility of both field and en route prehospital REBOA in the military exercise setting, simulating a modern armed conflict. METHODS Two adult male Sus Scrofa underwent simulated junctional combat injury in the context of a planned military training exercise. Both underwent zone I REBOA in conjunction with standard tactical combat casualty care interventions—one during point of injury care and the other during en route flight care. Animals were sequentially evacuated to two separate forward surgical teams by rotary wing platform where the balloon position was confirmed by chest x-ray. Animals then underwent different damage control thoracic and abdominal procedures before euthanasia. RESULTS The first swine underwent immediate successful REBOA at the point of injury 7 minutes and 30 seconds after the injury. It required 6 minutes total from initiation of procedure to effective aortic occlusion. Total occlusion time was 60 minutes. In the second animal, the REBOA placement procedure was initiated immediately after take off (17 minutes and 40 seconds after the injury). Although the movements and vibration of flight were not significant impediments, we only succeeded to put a 6-French (Fr) sheath into a femoral artery during the 14 minutes flight due to lighting and visualization challenges. After the sheath had been upsized in the forward surgical team, the REBOA catheter was primarily placed in zone I followed by its replacement to zone III. Both animals survived to study completion and the termination of training. No complications were observed in either animal. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the potential feasibility of REBOA for use during tactical field and en route (flight) care of combat casualties. Further study is needed to determine the optimal training and utilization protocols required to facilitate the effective incorporation of REBOA into military prehospital care capabilities.