Evaluation of Outcomes and Treatment Options Among Trauma Patients with Abdominal Vascular Injuries

INTRODUCTION: Abdominal vascular injuries are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Treatment options include non-operative management, open repair, and endovascular procedures. This study aimed to characterize patients and detail treatment modalities among those who sustained a traumatic abdominal vascular injury. METHODS: A six-year descriptive retrospective study was conducted at a level 1 trauma center and included all adult patients who sustained an abdominal vascular injury. Data abstracted included demographics, admitting characteristics, mechanism of injury, admitting vitals, injury details, diagnostic and treatment information, hospital course, and follow-up data. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients were admitted with abdominal vascular injuries, however, 14 patients sustained injuries to smaller vascular branches and were excluded. Most vascular injuries involved the iliac artery (27.9%, n = 12), abdominal aorta (25.6%, n = 11), and inferior vena cava (25.6%, n = 11). Twenty-seven percent (n = 12) of patients sustained an injury to more than one vascular structure. Thirty-four percent of patients (n = 15) died before treatment of the abdominal vascular injury. Among the 28 patients (65.1%) treated for their vascular injuries, 46.4% (n = 13) were treated with open surgery, 32.1% (n = 9) were treated non-operatively, and 21.4% (n = 6) with coil embolization. Sixty-four percent of the patients (n = 18) who survived to discharge presented for follow-up care with a mean follow-up period of 3 ± 4.1 months. There were no vascular reinterventions after discharge for patients who followed up with our hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings suggested that appropriately selected cases of traumatic vascular injuries may be managed non-operatively and safely, as there were no mortalities, complications, or reinterventions among these patients.