BACKGROUND The majority of intensive care physicians recognize the clinical significance of intra-abdominal hypertension on the outcome of critically ill patients. Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is defined as an intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) >20 mmHg with ongoing organ failure. However, there is no consensus regarding the indications for surgical decompression. METHODS A review of pers...

A 54-year-old man had considerable visceral swelling after laparotomy for intraabdominal infection, and primary closure could not be achieved. We provided temporary abdominal closure with a presterilized 3-L cystoscopy fluid bag (Fig. 1). The following day we inserted a Wittmann Patch using a cellophane sheet to prevent adhesions between the intestine and the abdominal wall and wound. We suture...

BACKGROUND The abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) refers to organ dysfunction that may occur as a result of increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). Successful management may require abdominal decompression and temporary abdominal closure (TAC). The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of patients requiring abdominal decompression, to describe the methods used for TAC, and to...

BACKGROUND Open abdominal management with negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is increasingly used for critically ill trauma and surgery patients. We sought to determine the comparative efficacy and safety of NPWT versus alternate temporary abdominal closure (TAC) techniques in critically ill adults with open abdominal wounds. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of published and unpub...

Tarsorrhaphy is used for the treatment of severe ocular surface disorders and for damage from ocular exposure. The temporary tarsorrhaphy has been shown to aid in the healing of corneal epithelial defects. A variety of temporary techniques have been suggested that allow eyelid closure not only to enable epithelial healing but also to allow access to the eye. We describe a temporary eyelid closu...

The use of open abdomen (OA) as a technique in the treatment of exsanguinating trauma patients was first described in the mid-19(th) century. Since the 1980s, OA has become a relatively new and increasingly common strategy to manage massive trauma and abdominal catastrophes. OA has been proven to help reduce the mortality of trauma. Nevertheless, the OA method may be associated with terrible an...

The traditional surgical methods typically used to repair the abdominal wall defect present in cloacal exstrophy, omphalocele, and gastroschisis during the neonatal period include definitive primary muscle, fascia, and skin closure, primary skin closure only with late ventral hernia repair, and a staged closure using a silo. The method chosen usually depends on the extent of visceral edema, the...

BACKGROUND The aim of this paper was to review the literature on vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction (VAWCM) in open abdomen therapy. It was designed as systematic review of observational studies. METHODS A Pub Med, EMBASE and Cochrane search from 2007/01-2016/07 was performed combining the Medical Subject Headings "vacuum", "mesh-mediated fascial traction", "temp...

OBJECTIVE The objective was to study morbidity and mortality associated with early closure (8-13 days) of a temporary stoma compared with standard procedure (closure after > 12 weeks) after rectal resection for cancer. BACKGROUND A temporary ileostomy may reduce the risk of pelvic sepsis after anastomotic dehiscence. However, the temporary ileostomy is afflicted with complications and require...