What is Trauma?
 Trauma is a serious injury or shock to the body. It is caused by a physical force such as violence or an accident. The injury may be complicated by psychiatric, behavioral, and social factors.
It is critical to have an entire team immediately available to provide care to an injured patient 24-hours a day. This teamwork starts at the scene of the injury where a coordinated, statewide pre-hospital medical system rapidly transports the injured patient from the scene to the hospital providing the appropriate level of care according to criteria established in the statewide trauma regulations. Once at the hospital, a complete team of surgeons, emergency physicians and nurses continue the life-saving treatment.
This team approach to care of the injured patient has had a dramatic impact on saving lives.
Minimally Invasive Procedures for Massive Bleeding
Injuries take many forms. The most advanced hospitals can treat injuries with a variety of approaches that involve well-known ones, like surgery, and newer ones where minimally invasive procedures can replace some surgeries.
As a Level 1 Trauma Center, Hartford Hospital has Interventional Radiologists as part of the Trauma Team. They perform procedures such as "embolization" which is a recognized interventional radiology technique that is used to treat trauma patients with massive bleeding.
Click here to see some of the advanced interventional techniques available at Hartford Hospital.
Learn more about trauma, or search below to learn about other health conditions. |
Definition | Reasons for Procedure | Possible Complications | What to Expect | Call Your Doctor
DefinitionAn appendectomy is the removal of the appendix. The appendix is a pouch that is attached to the large intestine. Reasons for Procedure
An appendectomy is often done as an emergency operation to treat
appendicitis. Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. It can be caused by an infection or obstruction.
Possible ComplicationsComplications are rare but no procedure is completely free of risk. Your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include: - Bleeding
- Infection
- Damage to other organs
- Reaction to anesthesia
Some risk factors that make complications more likely include: What to ExpectYour doctor may do the following: - Physical exam
- Blood and urine tests
- Your doctor may need detailed pictures of your appendix. These can be made with:
- X-rays
- Ultrasound
- CT scan
Antibiotics will be started right away. Appendicitis is an emergency condition. Surgery is almost always done right away. General anesthesia
will be used. You will be asleep with a temporary breathing tube in place.
A short incision will be made in the right lower abdomen. The doctor will be able to see the appendix through this cut. The appendix will be detached from surrounding tissue. The surgeon will stop any bleeding from blood vessels. The appendix will then be tied off and cut out. The incisions will then be closed with stitches or staples. If the appendix has ruptured, a warm water solution mixed with antibiotics will be used to wash out the inside of the abdomen. A catheter (tube) will then be placed to drain any fluid that builds up. Sometimes, with a rupture, the surgeon will only close the muscle layers and leave the skin open. The open skin wound will then be packed with a moist gauze dressing. The removed tissue is examined by a pathologist. Anesthesia prevents pain during surgery. You may be given medicine to manage any pain. You may be in the hospital for
0-3 days. If the appendix has ruptured, expect to stay for several days or more than a week. - You will be asked to get out of bed about six hours after surgery.
- If your appendix ruptured, drainage tubes will be removed after a few days.
Recovery takes about 4-6 weeks.
When you return home, do the following to help ensure a smooth recovery: - You may resume your normal diet as soon as possible.
- You may be given antibiotics to fight infection. Take all the medications ordered even if you start to feel better.
- Keep the incision area clean and dry.
- Ask your doctor about when it is safe to shower, bathe, or soak in water.
- Wash your hands before changing the dressing.
- Rest and take it easy for 1-2 weeks.
- Do not exercise or do heavy lifting for one or more weeks as directed by your doctor.
- Slowly increase activities as approved by your doctor.
-
Be sure to follow your doctor's
instructions.
Call Your DoctorAfter you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occur: - Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge at the incision site
- Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or severe nausea or vomiting
- Increased abdominal pain
- Fainting or dizziness
- Passing blood in the stool
In case of an emergency, call for medical help right away. Appendicitis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated October 17, 2012. Accessed November 7, 2012.
Discharge instructions for an appendectomy. EBSCO Patient Education Reference Center website. Available at:
http://www.ebscohost.com/pointOfCare/perc-about. Updated September 26, 2012. Accessed November 7, 2012.
Townsend C, Beauchamp DR, eds.
Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 17th ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders; 2003.
6/2/2011 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance
https://dynamed.ebscohost.com: Mills E, Eyawo O, Lockhart I, Kelly S, Wu P, Ebbert JO. Smoking cessation reduces postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2011;124(2):144-154.e8. Last reviewed November 2012 by Marcin Chwistek, MD Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved. |
|
 |
Physicians & Related Services |
|
|
|
|