Management and Outcomes of Traumatic Liver Injury: A Retrospective Analysis from a Tertiary Care Center Experience

Abstract

Background: although liver injuries are one of the most critical complications of abdominal trauma, choosing when to operate on these injuries is challenging for surgeons worldwide. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of liver injury cases at our institution from 2016 to 2022 to describe the operative and nonoperative management (NOM) outcomes in patients with traumatic liver injuries. Baseline patient characteristics, liver injury details, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: Data from 45 patients (male, 77.8%) were analyzed. The mean age was 29.3 years. Blunt trauma was the most common injury mechanism (86.7%), whereas penetrating injuries were 8.9% of cases. Conservative management was associated with 18.9% of complications. The overall complication rate was 26.7%; delirium and sepsis were the most common (13.3%), followed by acute renal failure (4.4%), pneumonia, biliary leaks, and meningitis/seizures. Conclusions: Notwithstanding its limitations, this retrospective analysis demonstrated that NOM can serve as a safe and effective strategy for hemodynamically stable patients with liver trauma, irrespective of the patient’s injury grade. Nevertheless, careful patient selection and monitoring are crucial. Further investigations are necessary to thoroughly evaluate the management of traumatic liver injuries, particularly in the context of multiorgan injuries.