title: Missile diaphragmatic injuries: kashmir experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Importance of repairing a diaphragmatic tear due to a missile injury cannot be overemphasized. Even a small diaphragmatic rent should be repaired because of morbidity and mortality caused by subsequent herniation and strangulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three cases with diaphragmatic injuries caused by penetrating missiles were studied from January 1997 to January 2007. All the patients were primarily explored either for thoracic or abdominal penetrating trauma; the diaphragmatic injury was an associated incidental intraoperative finding. Thoracotomy was performed in 18 patients, Laprotomy in 33 patients and in two patients combined thorocoabdominal approach was utilised for managing associated visceral injuries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall mortality was 37.7%. Mortality was dependent on associated injuries of thoracic and abdominal viscera. Most patients died due to associated injuries and septicaemia. None of the patients had any sequelae of diaphragmatic repair.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immediate repair of diaphragmatic injury is of paramount importance to prevent subsequent complications of herniation and strangulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of CVTS, SK Institute of Medical Sciences and Government Medical College Srinagar (India).
authors.forename: Reyaz A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lone
authors.forename: Bhat M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Akbar
authors.forename: Ml
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Wani M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Lateef
authors.forename: Ag
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahangar
authors.forename: Gn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lone
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dar
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Mubbashir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Zahur
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Ifat
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Irshad
authors.forename: Fouzia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rasool