title: Splenorrhaphy. The alternative.
abstract: From 1980 to 1989, 240 adult patients underwent splenorrhaphy at one urban trauma center. This represents 43.4% of all splenic injuries seen during this time interval. Splenic injuries were graded I to V, and splenorrhaphy was attempted except when the spleen was shattered or when multiple injuries with associated hypotension were present. Penetrating wounds, blunt trauma, or iatrogenic/unknown etiologies were present in 54.2%, 41.6%, and 4.2% of patients, respectively. Grade I or II injuries were present in 51.7% of patients, grade III in 34.6%, grade IV or V in 9.6%, and unknown grade in 4.1%. The technique of splenorrhaphy was simple suture (usually chromic) with or without the addition of topical hemostatic agents in 200 patients (83.3%), topical agents alone in 12 (5%), unknown type of repair in 12 (5%), compression, cautery, or nonbleeding injury in 9 (3.8%), and partial or hemisplenectomy in 7 (2.9%). Postoperative rebleeding occurred in three patients (1.3%) with grade II, III, and IV injuries, respectively, and led to splenectomy at reoperation. In another patient who had a hemisplenectomy performed for a grade IV injury, subphrenic abscesses and septic shock led to the death of the patient. Splenorrhaphy can be safely performed in properly selected adult patients after a variety of injuries. The risk of rebleeding is practically nil when the spleen is fully mobilized and visualized during repair.
authors.affiliation: Cora and Webb Mading Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Feliciano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spjut-Patrinely
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Burch
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Mattox
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Bitondo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cruse-Martocci
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Jordan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013156:Splenectomy; D013537:Sutures; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014193:Trauma Centers; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000601:surgery; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000601:surgery