Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a rare but catastrophic abdominal vascular emergency associated with daunting mortality comparable to myocardial infarction or cerebral stroke. Computed tomographic angiography is the initial diagnostic examination of choice for patients in whom AMI is a consideration. Computed tomographic angiography can be performed rapidly and can be used to identify critical arterial stenosis or occlusion as well as providing information concerning the presence of bowel infarction. An uncommon cause of presentation to emergency rooms, lack of clinical suspicion often leads to delayed presentation, development of peritoneal signs, and subsequent staggeringly high mortality rates.

Now in use for over 2 decades, the concept of damage control surgery (DCS) has become an accepted, proven surgical strategy with wide applicability and success in severe trauma patients. The concept has been mostly used in the massively injured, exsanguinating patients with multiple competing surgical priorities. With growing experiences in the application, the strategy continues to evolve into a nontrauma setting, especially in AMI.

Although an increasing development of endovascular techniques, AMI remains a morbid condition with a poor short-term and long-term survival rate. Some authors advocated that laparotomy after mesenteric revascularization serves to evaluate the possible damage to the visceral organs. Bowel resection as a result of transmural necrosis is carried out according to the principles of DCS. Bowel resections are performed with staples, leaving the creation of stomas until the second-look laparotomy. The abdominal wall can be left unsutured and temporary abdominal closure (TAC) was applied. However, the use of DCS in the setting of AMI was limited in case series and mostly confined in large university teaching hospitals. The timing and details of how the DCS incorporated into the treatment algorithm of AMI deserved further investigations.

An integrated intestinal stroke center (ISC) was established in our department, a national cutting-edge referral center for intestinal failure, to build up ideal coordination among gastroenterology physician, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon, and intervention radiologist for this therapeutic challenge. DCS was liberally used since ISC was established in 2010.

In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of patients receiving DCS and non-DCS in the devastating conditions in our single center.