• Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research
• /
• v.95 no.6
• /
• pp.340-344
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Traumatic lumbar hernia is rare, thus making diagnosis and proper treatment challenging. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate the clinical manifestations and proper management strategies of traumatic lumbar hernias. Methods: The medical records of patients with traumatic lumbar hernia treated at Gachon University Gil Hospital from March 2006 to February 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. Results: We included 5 men and 4 women (mean age, 55 years; range, 23-71 years). In 8 patients, most injuries were caused by motor vehicle collisions, including those wherein a pedestrian was struck (5 cases of car accidents, 2 falls, and 1 involving penetrating materials); in 1 patient, the probable cause was severe cough. Eight patients underwent hernia repair surgery (5 open and 3 laparoscopic), and a prosthetic mesh was used in 7 patients. Hernia repairs were elective in 7 patients; emergency hernia repair was performed with right hemicolectomy in 1 patient. No severe complication or recurrence was observed. Only 2 patients had mild complications, such as postoperative seroma. Conclusion: Traumatic lumbar hernia is a relatively rare injury of the posteriolateral abdominal wall. Lumbar hernia should be suspected in patients with high-energy injuries of the torso, and all such patients should undergo abdominopelvic computed tomography. After diagnosis, hernia repair can be electively performed without complications in most cases.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.115-121
• /
• 2012

Purpose: Severe pancreaticoduodenal injuries are relatively uncommon, but may result in high morbidity and mortality, especially when management is not optimal, and determining the appropriate treatment is often difficult. The objective of this study was to review our experience and to evaluate the role of a pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in treatment of pancreaticoduodenal injuries. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 16 patients who underwent an emergency PD at our hospital for severe pancreaticoduodenal injury from 1990 to 2011. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, mechanism and severity of the injury, associated injuries, postoperative complications and outcomes were reviewed. Results: The mean age of the 16 patients was $45{\pm}12years$ ($mean{\pm}standard$ deviation), and 15(93.8%) patients were male. All patients underwent an explorative laparotomy after a diagnosis using abdominal computed tomography. Almost all patients were classified as AAST grade higher than III. Thirteen(83.3%) of the 16 patients presented with blunt injuries; none presented with a penetrating injury. Only one(6.3%) patients had a combined major vascular injury. Fifteen patients underwent a standard Whipple's operation, and 1 patient underwent a pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Two of the 16 patients required an initial damage-control procedure; then, a PD was performed. The most common associated injured organs were the small bowel mesentery(12, 75%) and the liver(7, 43.8%). Complications were intraabdominal abscess(50%), delayed gastric emptying(37.5%), postoperative pancreatic fistula(31.5%), and postoperative hemorrhage (12.5%). No mortalities occurred after the PD. Conclusion: Although the postoperative morbidity rate is relatively higher, an emergency PD can be perform safely without mortality for severe pancreaticoduodenal injuries. Therefore, an emergency PD should be considered as a life-saving procedure applicable to patients with unreconstructable pancreaticoduodenal injuries, provided that is performed by an experienced hepatobiliary surgeon and the patient is hemodynamically stable.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.215-218
• /
• 2022

The rectum is the least frequently injured organ in trauma, with an incidence of about 1% to 3% in trauma cases involving civilians. Most rectal injuries are caused by gunshot wounds, blunt force trauma, and stab wounds. A 46-year-old male patient was crushed between two vehicles while he was working. He was hemodynamically unstable, and the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma showed hemoperitoneum and hemoretroperitoneum; therefore, damage control surgery with pelvic packing was performed. A subsequent whole-body computed tomography scan showed a displaced pelvic bone and sacrum fracture. There was evidence of an anorectal full-thickness laceration and urethral laceration. In second-look surgery performed 48 hours later, the pelvis was stabilized with external fixators, and it was decided to proceed with loop sigmoid colostomy. A tractioned rectal probe with an internal balloon was positioned in order to approach the flaps of the rectal wall laceration. On postoperative day 13, a radiological examination with endoluminal contrast injected from the stoma after removal of the balloon was performed and showed no evidence of extraluminal leak. Rectosigmoidoscopy, rectal manometry, anal sphincter electromyography, and trans-stomic transit examinations showed normal findings, indicating that it was appropriate to proceed with the closure of the colostomy. The postoperative course was uneventful. The optimal management for extraperitoneal penetrating rectal injuries continues to evolve. Primary repair with fecal diversion is the mainstay of treatment, and a conservative approach to rectal lacerations with an internal balloon in a rectal probe could provide a possibility for healing with a lower risk of complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.40 no.12
• /
• pp.831-836
• /
• 2007

Background: Cardiac injuries are the most commonly overlooked injuries in patients who die from trauma. Patients who survive blunt cardiac rupture or penetrating injuries are rare and the incidence is not well defined. Many patients require urgent or emergency operations and operative mortality is very high. Material and Method: A retrospective review of 26 patients with cardiac injuries due to thoracic trauma undergoing emergency thoracotomy from January 1997 to December 2005. Result: There were 17 male and 9 female patients, with a mean age of $45.3{\pm}16.2\;(range:\;17{\sim}80)$. Thirteen patients (50%) were injured in motor vehicle accidents, and five patients (19%) in motorcycle accidents. Six patients (23%) were injured by knives, and two patients (8%) were injured by falling. Anatomic injuries included right atrium (12 [46%]), left atrium (1 [4%]), right ventricle (5 [19%]), left ventricle (5 [19%]), and cardiac chambers (2 [7%]). Diagnosis was made by computer tomography in 12 patients and sonography in 14 patients. The average times from admission to operating room was $89.2{\pm}86.7\;min\;(range:\;10{\sim}335)$. The average time for diagnosis was $51.3{\pm}13.6\;min\;(range:\;5{\sim}280)$. The mean Revised Trauma Score (RTS) was $6.7{\pm}0.8$, and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), was $12.8{\pm}2.8$. The overall mortality rate was 12% (3 out of 26 patients). Conclusion: The mortality rate from cardiac injury is very high. The survival rate can be increased only by a high index of suspicion, aggressive expeditious diagnostic evaluation, and prompt appropriate surgical management.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.1690-1698
• /
• 2012

As alcohol use is one of the most important risk factors for injuries, this study was intended to clarify and evaluate any relationship between drinking patterns and the incidence rates/specific characteristics of injuries in adult populations, using a widely accepted tool, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (chronic alcohol drinking behaviors measurement, hereinafter the AUDIT) developed by the World Health Organization to help to assess the behaviors in a more accurate and reliable manner. This study used the data collected from the 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), in which 7,511 of 7,893 adult participants aged ${\geq}19$ years answered the questions about injuries, and excluding 104 non-respondents, 6,258 of participants in the questionnaire survey of drinking patterns were finally analyzed. The incidence rates and specific characteristics of injuries as classified by the AUDIT categories (i.e., body regions, types and mechanisms) were assessed and estimated in terms of their relative risk using t-test, ANOVA, and logistic regression. SPSS 19.0 statistical package software was employed for statistical analyses. These analyses indicate that the incidence rates of overall injuries were significantly higher in male respondents than in female respondents. The risks of alcohol use related injuries were 8.3 times higher in male respondents than in female ones. Regarding educational background, high school graduates showed the highest rates in the AUDIT with significant difference from the other groups. The married group and the group of respondents having monthly income estimated at KRW 2.01 to 3 million also showed the highest rates in the AUDIT compared to the other groups, indicating statistically significant difference. Significantly increased in problematic drinkers and those with alcohol dependence, the incidence rate of injuries body regions was 0.0371 in the head/neck, and with respect to the AUDIT and the mechanisms of external causes of injuries, transport accidents ranked first, followed by slippage, others, crash and fall. In regard to the classified types of injuries, it was statistically significant in others (e.g., laceration, contusion, addiction, or penetrating wound). In conclusion, the mechanisms of external causes of injuries as well as injuries attributed to alcohol use are very important, and a strategy is required to reduce such the injuries in the manner of decreasing the frequency of drinking after motivation by professional counsellors.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.33-36
• /
• 2016

Traffic accidents involving agricultural machinery have been decreasing, but mortality is still high due to a lack of safety devices such as seat belts. Furthermore, secondary damage, such as abdominal impalement injury caused by loaded materials, is more likely to occur, and this type of injury leads to a poor prognosis. Impalement with pipes is often more fatal than other penetrating injuries because the diameter of the pipe is usually larger in size than other loaded materials. We report a case of a 72-year-old man with secondary abdominal impalement injury caused by a scaffolding pipe following a traffic accident.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.101-105
• /
• 1987

A clinical evaluation was performed on 17 cases of the cardiac and great vessel injuries above the subclavian vessel at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital from April, 1980 to September, 1986. The results were as follows: 1. Sex distribution were 13 cases in male and 4 cases in female. In age range, second and third decades occupied in about 65% of total cases. 2. Modes of injury were penetrating wound is 14 cases and nonpenetrating wound in 3 cases. The stab wounds by knife were most frequent. 3. Time interval from injury to operation was mean 103 minutes. 4. Surgical approaches were performed with thoracotomy in 9 cases, median sternotomy in 3 cases and direct incision above the wound. 5. Sites of injury were heart in 10 cases and great vessel in 7 cases. The right ventricular injury was most common as 7 cases. 6. Operative procedures were performed with simple closure, vascular graft anastomosis and ligation. There was no postoperative death.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.164-166
• /
• 2012

Penetrating injuries to the upper cervical spine resulting from gunshots are rare in South Korea due to restrictions of gun use. Moreover, gunshot wounds to the upper cervical spine without neurological deficits occur infrequently because of the anatomic location and surrounding essential structures. We present an uncommon case involving the surgical removal of a bullet located in the anterior arch of first cervical vertebra (C1) via a transoral approach without neurological complications or subsequent mechanical instability.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.488-491
• /
• 1984

Vascular injuries from gun shot wound is rare in these days, in Korea. A Case of false aneurysm of the right common carotid artery due to penetrating injury to the neck by carbine. The confirmatory diagnosis was made by right carotid angiogram which revealed bean-sized aneurysmal sac at the mid-portion of the right common carotid artery. Despite of no symptoms, emergency false aneurysmectomy and reconstruction with on-lay vein patch graft using left greater saphenous vein for threat of rupture and embolization from mural thrombi. During repair of common carotid artery, cerebral circulation was maintained with internal shunt. The postoperative course was uneventful except limit of motion of right upper extremity due to initial injury.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.888-892
• /
• 1994

Acquired, traumatic tracheoesophageal fistula [TEF] is rare and difficult problem to manage. This 55 years old man met with a roller accident of a tractor. During accident, he received a penetrating injury on the left upper sternal border. At local clinic, he received closed thoracotomy drainage [CTD]for relief of pneumothorax[left]. Three days after CTD, he complained abdominal pain and hematemesis. The endoscopy revealed large ulcer at the stomach, so he received subtotal gastrectomy. On 10th day post subtotal gastrectomy, he developed aspiration and coughing from a TEF. The esophagogram showed large TEF at the mid-trachea level. So he transfered to our hospital for operation. This patient was operated on for late TEF three weeks after injury. We have used absorble 4-0 Vicryl sutures to repair trachea. We repair all esophageal injuries with two layers of nonabsorbable silk suture. Where suture line on the esophagus, the strap muscle was interposed for reinforcement. And for feeding, the feeding jejunostomy was performed. Postoperatively the osteomyelitis of the manubrium site was developed, so on the 30th postoperative day, an ostectomy of manubrium, both clavicle and fight 1st, 2nd ribs, and the pectoralis major musculo-cutaneous flap coverage were performed.