Injuries to the Small and Large Bowel

Injuries to the small and large bowel, collectively known as hollow viscus injuries, and their associated mesentery are frequently encountered in trauma, depending on the mechanism involved. For example, the small bowel is the most common injured organ after penetrating abdominal injuries and can be readily identified intraoperatively. In contrast, hollow viscus injuries after blunt abdominal trauma are less common, and the clinical signs and symptoms may first elude timely recognition of such injury. Given these findings, knowledge of the appropriate diagnostic workup, decision-making for operative intervention, classification of injury, and intraoperative surgical management of hollow viscus injuries are essential to successful patient outcomes.