Managing the Open Abdomen in Damage Control Surgery: Should Skin-Only Closure be Abandoned?

During damage control laparotomy, surgery is abbreviated to allow for the correction of physiologic disturbances, with a plan to return to the operating theatre for definitive surgical repair. Re-entry into the abdomen is facilitated by temporary abdominal closure (TAC). Skin-only closure is one of...

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Published inCurēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 13; no. 6
Main Authors Milne, David M, Rambhajan, Amrit, Ramsingh, Jason, Cawich, Shamir O, Naraynsingh, Vijay
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Palo Alto (CA) Cureus 07.06.2021
Subjects
General Surgery
Trauma
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Summary:During damage control laparotomy, surgery is abbreviated to allow for the correction of physiologic disturbances, with a plan to return to the operating theatre for definitive surgical repair. Re-entry into the abdomen is facilitated by temporary abdominal closure (TAC). Skin-only closure is one of the many techniques described for TAC Numerous sources advise against the use of this technique because of the risk of complications. This case report describes the use of skin-only closure during a damage control laparotomy. We reviewed the literature surrounding the various options for TAC to elucidate the potential role of skin-only closure after damage control laparotomy.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.15489