Retrospective Review of the Incidence of Early Small Bowel Obstruction in Patients Undergoing an Exploratory Laparotomy Following Trauma

The formation of intraperitoneal adhesion following abdominal surgery is accepted by clinicians as an inevitable consequence. More than 90% of patients undergoing a surgical procedure in the abdomen will develop intraperitoneal adesions. The incidence however, of small bowel obstruction (SBO) resulting form these adhesions is far lower. To date, it is unknown which risk factors predispose these patients to develop SBO. Several have been proposed, such as age, peritonitis, or surgery for small bowel injury resulting from gunshots. None of them however, has been widely accepted.

During the last 20 years the significant lifetime risks associated with this phenomenon and its impact on the quality of life of patients has been well recognized. In addition, the burden on healthcare resources due to complications caused by adhesions is increasing and medicolegal consequences are rapidly evolving.

Early SBO following laparotomy for trauma is a poorly described entity. A few retrospective, single institution studies with a low number of patients have tried to address this issue. However, these studies either included a subset of trauma patients, i.e. patients sustaining penetrating trauma,[4] or patients undergoing a negative or non-therapeutic laparotomy, or examined only the incidence of SBO requiring surgical intervention. In addition, recent data regarding this issue is lacking, especially after the implementation of the damage control concept and the other advances in trauma surgery.

The aim of this study is to define the incidence of early SBO following laparotomy for trauma and to examine possible risk factors associated with its development.