This study is bases on 17 cases of diaphramatic injury operated on at Hallym university, Kandong Sacred Heart Hospital during the period between August 1987 and May 1995.
There were 14 males and 3 females and the most common age group was composed of people in their twenties. 13 cases were due to blunt trauma such as steering wheel injury, to the anterior chest and abdomen and 4 cases were due to penetrating
injury,
mostly from stab wound.
The left diaphragm was much more frequently involved than the right a ratio of twelve to five. The most common location of rupture in blunt trauma cases occured at the posterior lateral part of left diaphragm.
Herniation of abdominal structures into the chest was seen in 8 cases due to blunt trauma, but none in the penetrating injuries.
Fourteen out of seventeen cases were operated on within 24 hours following admission. The rest were operated on as elective cases.
All cases had associated injuries. The most commonly observed conditions were trauma to the chest such as hemothorax and rib fractures. There were 5 cases of hollow viscus perforation. Liver and spleen injuries were seen in 6 and 2 cases,
respectively.
The operations were done through laparotomy alone in 11 cases, thoracotomy in 4 cases and two cases were through a thoracoabdominal incision.
Two cases died on the operating table due to massive hernorrage from a ruptured inferior vena cava. All other cases recoverd despite a relatively high incidence of postoperative complication, 7 of 17(41%).
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