Damage control surgery in obstetrics: literature review

Damage control surgery in obstetrics is a surgical approach used in emergency situations, involving serious complications or risks to the mother. This technique is commonly used in cases of severe obstetric hemorrhage. The aim is the performance of an initial laparotomy on the hemodynamically unstable patient with the goal of rapidly controlling life-threatening injuries. It should be considered when despite the fact the ligation of important arterial vessels has already been performed, bleeding persists and should be establish coagulopathy, particularly if it is associated with hypothermia, acidosis, hypocalcemia, and requirement of vasopressors. During the initial laparotomy, bleeding should be controlled, and partial or temporary abdominal closure is performed, subsequently, the patient must be admitted to physiologic restoration in the Intensive Care Unit, this is followed by planned re-operation, definitive management of the lesions, and abdominal closure. We conducted an up-to-date literature search and present the most important items related to damage control surgery in obstetric patients.