CASE REPORT   

Minerva Chirurgica 2000 March;55(3):173-6

Copyright © 2000 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

War injury to the liver. A case report

Petricevic A., Mimica Z., Ilic N., Bakovic A., Pjekovic N.

We report a case of a war thoracoabdominal gunshot wound associated with severe injury to the liver and hemorrhagic shock. Immediately upon admission to the second Echelon Surgical Unit, the patient was operated on with two separate surgical approaches: right thoracotomy and subcostal laparotomy. The patient was transferred to rear hospital for recurrent postoperative hemorrhages. He was eventually transferred to our Department, where he underwent reoperation by the surgical approach through right thoracophrenolaparotomy. Liver lesion debridement and hepatic artery ligation were performed. The early and late postoperative course was normal, and the patient achieved satisfactory recovery on discharge. The case shows that the management of severe liver injuries requires special knowledge and experience from the surgeon.