This detailed, excellently illustrated guide describes how to perform damage control surgery to the abdomen and presents pearls and pitfalls from the authors’ personal experience. Individual chapters focus on crash laparotomy and surgical techniques for injuries to the liver, spleen, pancreas and duodenum, stomach, small bowel, colon, rectum, kidney, ureter, bladder, and abdominal veins and arteries. Preperitoneal packing is described, and instruction provided on methods of temporary abdominal closure. Damage control surgery is now well established as the standard of care for severely injured patients requiring emergent laparotomy. Although it may be defined as "limited operation for control of hemorrhage and contamination", a number of techniques based on a good deal of experience are now used in a variety of situations. This atlas will be a great help to all who are involved in trauma surgery, and especially young trauma surgeons.
