Abdominal Trauma

When are a victim of a trauma event, like being in a car/ bike/ motorcycle accident, hit by a vehicle or suffer a direct abdominal blow, you need help. We can offer some of the best surgical trauma care in the region to get you back to living your fullest possible life.

Events like vehicular accidents, falls and direct blows to you body are often encountered in our emergency room. Some of the most common trauma we see are:

• Passengers wearing a lap-belt without a shoulder attachment. The lap seat belt compressing the abdomen and injures solid organs like your liver, spleen and kidneys. It also injures hollow organs, like your intestines, at their points of attachment to your abdominal cavity.
  
• Broken ribs or pelvic bones which cut into your abdominal organs.
  
• Unrestrained victims or those not wearing a seat belt. You are at higher risk of injury when you do not wear a seat belt.

When we treat you for severe abdominal trauma, surgery is one common treatment option. During surgery our goal is to stop uncontrollable bleeding and assess the injury to your internal organs (liver, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, intestines, etc.).

The spleen is the most commonly injured organ, followed by the liver and kidneys. Less common is injuries to the gastrointestinal tract (the intestines).

If you have injuries to solid organs like your liver or spleen, you may not need surgery. Instead we track your healing while you are in the hospital. You can expect us to follow up for a couple months after your injury.

Diagnostic tests

We use a variety of diagnostic tests to determine your abdominal injuries. These tests include:

• An ultrasound of the abdomen to see if there is blood in your abdominal cavity.
• A CT scan of your chest and abdomen to look at your bones and soft tissues.

Learn more about our imaging services and our emergency room care.