Perihepatic packing is a surgical procedure used in connection with

trauma surgery Trauma surgery is a surgery, surgical Specialty (medicine), specialty that utilizes both operative and non-operative management to treat traumatic injuries, typically in an acute setting. Trauma surgeons generally complete Residency (medicine), ...

to the

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

. In this procedure the liver is packed to stop non

arterial An artery (plural arteries) () is a blood vessel in humans and most animals that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry oxygenated blood; the two exceptions are the pul ...

bleeding, most often caused by

liver injury A liver injury, also known as liver laceration, is some form of trauma sustained to the liver. This can occur through either a blunt force such as a car accident, or a penetrating foreign object such as a knife. Liver injuries constitute 5% of a ...

. During this surgery laparotomy pads are placed around the bleeding liver. The main purpose of hepatic packing is to prevent the bleeding so

trauma triad of death The trauma triad of death is a medical term describing the combination of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy. This combination is commonly seen in patients who have sustained severe traumatic injuries and results in a significant rise in t ...

can be avoided. Under- or over-packing of the liver can cause adverse outcomes, and if the bleeding cannot be controlled through this surgical method, the

Pringle manoeuvre The Pringle manoeuvre is a surgical technique used in some abdominal operations and in liver trauma. The hepatoduodenal ligament is clamped either with a surgical tool called a haemostat, an umbilical tape or by hand. This limits blood inflow thr ...

is an alternate technique that can be utilized temporally.

References

Surgical procedures and techniques {{surgery-stub