Management of penetrating abdominal vessel injuries

Vascular injury due to penetrating abdominal trauma is a major challenge for trauma teams. Arterial and venous injuries occur with equal frequency. Treatment depends on the hemodynamic status of the patient: under stable conditions, angiography can be envisioned, whereas instability is an indication for immediate surgery; damage control is the most frequent procedure. As persisting on complete surgical exploration may lead to fatal outcome, the...