Background
Injuries to major abdominal vessels are uncommon but highly lethal vascular crises. Predictably, exsanguinating hemorrhage is the most important cause of early death. Intra-abdominal vascular injuries are associated with extremely rapid rates of blood loss and pose challenges of exposure during celiotomy,
given the posterior position of the major abdominal vascular structures (except for the portal vein and the hepatic artery).
Essential to the successful management of these injuries is a thorough knowledge of intra-abdominal vascular anatomy and a familiarity with the techniques of proximal and distal control combined with selective application of primary repair, bypass, or ligation as indicated.
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