Wounded surgical soul: persistent challenges in the management of pancreaticoduodenal injuries with major vascular injuries.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The "surgical soul" indicates a small spherical area at the head of pancreas with adjacent major vessels. Traumatic injuries to this area are known for the extreme complexity to manage. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients with wounded surgical soul using a nationwide dataset.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program database (2013-2018). We included patients (age ≥16 years) with Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) ≥4 pancreatic and/or duodenal injuries with associated injuries to any of the following vessels: inferior vena cava (IVC), superior mesenteric artery/vein injury (SMA/SMV), portal vein (PV), renal vein (RV), and splenic vein (SV).

SUBMITTER: Wu YT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12815249 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature