Predictors of successful non-operative management of grade III & IV blunt pancreatic trauma

• Non-operative measures should be attempted in a select group of high grade (grade III/IV) pancreatic trauma.
• Controlled leak walled off as a pseudocyst, absent necrosis&organ injuries predict high success rate for NOM.
• Dedicated nutritional, gastrointestinal and interventional radiological support are the key components of care.

IntroductionAlthough surgery is the preferred treatment for grade III&IV pancreatic trauma, there is a growing movement for non-operative management. in blunt pancreatic trauma. Very few studies compare operative versus non-operative management in adult patients.MethodsRetrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database was performed from 2004 to 2013 in the department of gastrointestinal surgery, NIMS, Hyderabad. Comparative analysis was performed between patients who failed versus those who were successfully managed with non-operative management.Results34 patients had grade III/IV trauma out of which 8 were operated early with the remaining 26 initially under a NOM strategy, 10 of them could be successfully managed without any operation. Post-traumatic pancreatitis, Necrotizing pancreatitis, Ileus, contusion on CT, surrounding organ injuries are independently associated with failure of NOM on a univariate analysis. On multivariate logistic regression presence of necrosis& associated organ injury are factors that predict failure of NOM independently. Development of a pseudocyst is the only significant factor that is associated with a success of NOM.ConclusionsNon-operative measures should be attempted in a select group of grade III&IV blunt pancreatic trauma. In hemodynamically stable patients with a controlled leak walled off as a pseudocyst without associated organ injuries and pancreatic necrosis, NOM has a higher success rate.