This book is the first available practical manual on the open abdomen. Practicing physicians, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and physiotherapists will find in it a ready source of information on all aspects of open abdomen management in a wide variety of settings. The coverage includes, for example, the open abdomen in trauma, intra-abdominal sepsis, and acute pancreatitis, step-by-step descriptions of different techniques with the aid of high-quality color figures, guidance on potential complications and their management, and features of management in different age groups. The book contents illustrate the most recent innovations and drawing upon a thorough and up-to-date literature review. Useful tips and tricks are highlighted, and the book is designed to support in daily decision making. The authors include worldwide opinion leaders in the field, guaranteeing the high scientific value of the content.

This book offers an overview of acute care surgery around the world, focusing on the four main branches of this novel subdiscipline: trauma, general emergencies, critical care, and rescue surgery. The book’s primary goal is to provide a general view of acute care surgery, while addressing the most important issues in depth. The content is divided into three parts, the first of which is dedicated to the general organization of trauma centers, including the composition of modern trauma teams. Protocols of activation and action for the trauma team, as well as damage control procedures both in the emergency room and in the surgical theatre, are described. The book also addresses the development of a trauma registry, together with the quality assessment process that can be applied. In turn, the second part describes the principal protocols for making diagnoses, with special attention to circumstances such as unstable hemodynamics, neurological deterioration, normal vital signs, and penetrating injuries. The book subsequently deals with the most important aspects of trauma to the abdomen, chest, and pelvis, with notes on both surgical and intensive care issues. Practical descriptions of how to treat principal injuries to various organs are also provided. Finally, the third part of the book is dedicated to the most frequent general surgical emergencies and rescue surgical approaches, and includes information on diagnostic support with point of care ultrasound and endoscopic advanced techniques. Presenting cutting-edge strategies, this book will be of interest to professionals involved in surgical and intensive care for emergency conditions, such as colonic perforations, obstructions, acute pancreatitis, biliary tree stones, and caustic injuries.

This book by Madbak and Dangleben has collated lot of information that has been presented and published in many disparate arenas into a single easy to read source. In an area where there is more experience and “favorite techniques” than true evidence based answers, they provide a wealth of information along with outstanding photographic support that makes this an excellent resource for all surgeons caring for this population. Similar to many things in life, when treating patients with the open abdomen one size or methodology does not fit all and this book will assuredly contain at least one possible answer to your patient’s problem. Although the numbers of “open abdomens” are decreasing due to changes in resuscitation and transfusion practices, it still represents a complex complication that can be challenging to deal with. This ambitious textbook on the management of the open abdomen provides a practical approach for addressing this complex problem. One of the more unique aspects of this textbook is its detailed “How to” approach for the wide variety of techniques utilized in the management of the open abdomen. While there may be no consensus as to what constitutes the optimal management of the open abdomen, this book articulates a number of options and their advantages. Most importantly, it provides high quality photographs that enhance the step by step “How to” approach of the text. More recent developments including using biologic mesh, implementing complex abdominal wall reconstruction and utilizing minimally invasive endoscopic techniques are described. This book is not only appropriate for all practicing surgeons that deal with this complex issue, but is also relevant for residents and fellows who are just getting their first exposure to open abdomens.

Practical clinical handbook reviewing all aspects of the diagnosis and management of intra-abdominal hypertension; essential reading for all critical care staff.

The global population is aging rapidly, and as a result emergency abdominal surgery for acute abdomen in the elderly has become a global issue. Demographic changes in the population have also altered the profile of emergency abdominal surgery, with typical causes of acute abdomen in the elderly including acute cholecystitis, incarcerated hernia, bowel obstruction and appendicitis. In these patients, recovery from surgery is often complicated, leading to longer hospital stays compared with younger patients. Laparoscopy in the emergency setting is well established and offers a number of advantages over open surgical approaches, such as reduced postoperative pain, length of hospital stay and complication rates. While laparoscopic surgery for acute diverticulitis has become more widespread, in other conditions, like small bowel obstruction and perforated peptic ulcer, laparotomy is still used in about 70% of cases. Further, despite the urgent need for knowledge regarding surgical treatment of acute abdomen in the elderly, there is still a lack of evidence in this relevant clinical field. This book analyzes the management strategies and critically evaluates the outcomes of laparoscopic emergency surgery for acute abdomen in the elderly according to the principles of evidence-based medicine. Discussing each topic clearly, and promoting the use of emergency laparoscopy in elderly patients, the book is intended for young general surgeons and surgeons in training with at least a basic knowledge of surgery for acute abdomen. It is also useful as a quick reference tool during on-call shifts.

An open abdomen is defined as purposely foregoing fascial closure of the abdomen after the cavity is opened. Management of complex abdominal problems with the open abdomen and temporary abdominal closure techniques has become a common and valuable tool in surgery. Several challenging clinical situations can necessitate leaving the abdominal cavity open after surgery, resulting in an open abdomen. The indications for open abdomen are as follows: Damage control for life-threatening intraabdominal bleeding, severe acute pancreatitis, severe abdominal sepsis, and prevention and treatment of the abdominal compartment syndrome. Damage control surgery is based on a rapid control of bleeding and focuses on reversing physiologic exhaustion in a critically ill or injured patient. In severe abdominal sepsis, the intervention should be abbreviated due to suboptimal local conditions for healing and global susceptibility to spiraling organ failure. Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is commonly encountered and the only solution is decreasing the pressure by decompressive laparotomy. Open abdomen is associated with significant complications, including wound infection, fluid and protein loss, a catabolic state, loss of abdominal wall domain, and development of enteroatmospheric fistula; however, if the indications are clear, it can become a most valuable resource in treating these conditions.

This book provides clear surgical options when the cases are not “routine”. It follows both a “how to” manual as well as an algorithm-based guide to allow the reader to understand the thought process behind the proposed treatment strategy. In each chapter, international experts address how to avoid being in tough surgical situations through preoperative planning, how to better deal with commonly encountered intra-operative findings, how to deal with difficult laparoscopic, open, endoscopic, and anorectal cases, and how to avoid medico-legal issues. Colorectal Surgery Consultation is simple and succinct and provides pragmatic advice and reproducible techniques that can be readily implemented by surgeons of varying experience to successfully treat complex colorectal problems through endoscopic and endoluminal approaches that may make the difference in patient outcomes.

Both editors are active duty officers and surgeons in the U.S. Army. Dr. Martin is a fellowship trained trauma surgeon who is currently the Trauma Medical Director at Madigan Army Medical Center. He has served as the Chief of Surgery with the 47th Combat Support Hospital (CSH) in Tikrit, Iraq in 2005 to 2006, and most recently as the Chief of Trauma and General Surgery with the 28th CSH in Baghdad, Iraq in 2007 to 2008. He has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and surgical chapters. He presented his latest work analyzing trauma-related deaths in the current war and strategies to reduce them at the 2008 annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Beekley is the former Trauma Medical Director at Madigan Army Medical Center. He has multiple combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan, and has served in a variety of leadership roles with both Forward Surgical Teams (FST) and Combat Support Hospitals (CSH).

This book provides up-to-date evidence on laparoscopic emergency surgery and supplies concrete advice on when and how to approach patients laparoscopically in an emergency setting. All the diseases elegible for emergency laparoscopy are addressed, and for each disease recommendations, levels of evidence, and technical key points are discussed and analyzed. Diagnostic flow charts are included for cases in which laparoscopy turns out to be the final diagnostic step and the first therapeutic one. Furthermore, problematic and positive aspects of the laparoscopic approach from the anesthesiologic point of view are fully explored. Finally, a useful overview of current practice in hospitals across the world is provided, highlighting the varying applications in relation to different medical “cultures”, skills, resources, and healthcare systems.