• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.461-465
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• 1985

Rupture of the aorta following blunt trauma of the thorax may occur more frequently than has generally been recognized. Actual complete transection of the aorta usually results in immediate death but varying degrees of lesser disruption permit increased chance of survival. Chronic traumatic aneurysms are so designated following a period of 3 months from the traumatic incident. The exact time required for the acute process and hematoma to convert into an aneurysm is unknown. Because a thoracic surgeon encounters so few of these aneurysms, it is difficult for him to arrive at sound dicta of management from his personal experience. It is not surprising that controversy exists concerning the therapeutic approach to the aneurysm which is asymptomatic and is discovered months or years after the causative injury. In the hope of improving the surgical treatment of patients with this condition, we reported one case with chronic traumatic aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.170-174
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• 2020

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is considered an emerging adjunct therapy for profound hemorrhagic shock, as it can maintain temporary stability until definitive repair of the injury. However, there is limited information about the use of this procedure in children. Herein, we report a case of REBOA in a pediatric patient with blunt trauma, wherein the preoperative deployment of REBOA played a pivotal role in damage control resuscitation. A 7-year-old male patient experienced cardiac arrest after a motor vehicle accident. After 30 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, spontaneous circulation was achieved. The patient was diagnosed with massive hemoperitoneum. REBOA was then performed under ongoing resuscitative measures. An intra-aortic balloon catheter was deployed above the supraceliac aorta, which helped achieved permissive hypotension while the patient was undergoing surgery. After successful bleeding control with small bowel resection for mesenteric avulsion, thorough radiologic evaluations revealed hypoxic brain injury. The patient died from deterioration of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Although the patient did not survive, a postoperative computed tomography scan revealed neither remaining intraperitoneal injury nor peripheral ischemia correlated with the insertion of a 7-Fr sheath. Hence, REBOA can be a successful bridge therapy, and this result may facilitate the further usage of REBOA to save pediatric patients with non-compressible torso hemorrhage.