• C H van der Vlies, J Hoekstra, K J Ponsen, J A Reekers, O M van Delden, and J C Goslings.
• Trauma Unit, Department of Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 Amsterdam, The Netherlands. c.h.vandervlies@amc.uva.nl
• Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2012 Feb 1;35(1):76-81.

IntroductionNonoperative management (NOM) has become the treatment of choice for hemodynamically stable patients with blunt splenic injury. Results of outcome after NOM are predominantly based on large-volume studies from level 1 trauma centers in the United States. This study was designed to assess the results of NOM in a relatively low-volume Dutch level 1 trauma center.MethodsAn analysis of a prospective trauma registry was performed for a 6-year period before (period 1) and after the introduction and implementation of splenic artery embolization (SAE) (period 2). Primary outcome was the failure rate of initial treatment.ResultsA total of 151 patients were reviewed. An increased use of SAE and a reduction of splenic operations during the second period was observed. Compared with period 1, the failure rate after observation in period 2 decreased from 25% to 10%. The failure rate after SAE in period 2 was 18%. The splenic salvage rate (SSR) after observation increased from 79% in the first period to 100% in the second period. During the second period, all patients with failure after observation were successfully treated with SAE. The SSR after SAE in periods 1 and 2 was respectively 100% and 86%.ConclusionsSAE of patients with blunt splenic injuries is associated with a reduction in splenic operations. The failure and splenic salvage rates in this current study were comparable with the results from large-volume studies of level 1 trauma centers. Nonoperative management also is feasible in a relatively low-volume level 1 trauma center outside the United States.

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