“Management of blunt spleen injuries has evolved from mandatory splenectomy to non-operative management (NOM) allowing for splenic salvage. The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) practice management guideline for the management of blunt solid organ injury recommends NOM in splenic injury regardless of age, grade, or associated injuries.”

“Splenectomy continues to be the treatment of choice in patients with unstable hemodynamics and a known splenic injury. In the hemodynamically normal patient, current practice is to observe the patient and treat with NOM to save the patients the complications associated with surgery.”

“The most cost-effective management of patients with high grade (grade III-V) blunt spleen injury is to continue nonoperative management without prophylactic splenic angioembolization. The data presented here serve as a guide for minimizing cost and maximizing patient utility though all clinical decision making occurs at the level of the individual patient and the capabilities of the caring institution.”

Senekjian L, et al Splenic artery angioembolization for high-grade splenic injury: Are we wasting money? Am J Surg. 2021 Emory Users Request Through Illiad