The treatment and the morbimortality of hepatic trauma depend on the mechanism of injury and therapeutical approach that includes clinical follow-up, hepatorrhaphy, omentoplasty and prosthesis. The present paper assessed the hepatic recoverance after hepatorraphy and omentoplasty for treatment of liver incision in dog. Fifteen male mongrel dogs weighing between 7 and 12 kg, were used. Under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia ( 10mg/kg), the animals were submitted to a 2.5 cm deep and 8 cm long incision of the left liver lobe. The dogs were divided into three groups: 1- without repair (control); II- only hepatic suture; III- hepatic suture and omentoplasty. The two repairs were performed with 4-0 chromic catgut thread. All animals of group I died during the early postoperative period. The dogs of the groups II and III supported the 28 day-follow-up without problem. At the relaparotomy of the groups II and III multiple adhesions to an aparently normal liver were found. In the Group III, the omentum introduced in the hepatic wound was expulsed and remained attached to the liver capsule. At microscopy, it was observed discontinuity of vessels and biliary ducts at the leveI of liver scar; the intensity of inflammatory phenomenon was more important in the Group III. Little sections of omental tissue were found inside the parenchima. In conclusion the omentoplasty helped the liver suture, but did not prevent the interruption of vessels and bile ducts.
Liver; Hepatic trauma; Hepatorrhaphy; Omentoplasty; Liver recoverance