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Indications and procedures for second-look surgery in acute mesenteric ischemia

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Abstract

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a highly lethal clinical entity associated with high morbidity and mortality. Bowel necrosis often results, usually necessitating bowel resection; however, deciding on the extent of resection is problematic as accurate identification of ischemic bowel that may undergo subsequent infarction is difficult. Therefore, a second-look laparotomy after the first operation is usually recommended. While the second-look procedure is widely accepted, its optimal indications and mode are still controversial, raising questions such as “second-look or not?,” “planned relaparotomy or relaparotomy on demand?,” and “open or laparoscopic?” In this review we discuss the relevant literature and reassess the role of the second-look operation in the treatment of AMI.

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  1. Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 23 Youzheng Street, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang Province, PR China

    Xianzhi Meng, Lianxin Liu & Hongchi Jiang

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Meng, X., Liu, L. & Jiang, H. Indications and procedures for second-look surgery in acute mesenteric ischemia. Surg Today 40, 700–705 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-009-4140-4

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