Mattox Maneuver

Anatomy and Physiology

For trauma surgery care, the abdominal retroperitoneal space is divided into 3 zones: the central, lateral, and pelvic. The following are the zones, boundaries, and contents:

Zone I (Central)

• Upper boundary: Diaphragmatic, esophageal, and aortic openings
• Lower boundary: Sacral promontories
• Lateral boundary: Psoas muscles
• Contents: Abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava, pancreas, duodenum (partial)

Zone II (Lateral)

• Upper boundary: Diaphragm
• Lower boundary: Iliac crests
• Lateral boundary: Psoas muscles
• Contents: Kidneys and their vessels, ureters, ascending and descending colon, hepatic and splenic colonic flexure

Zone III (Pelvic)

• Anterior boundary: Space of Retzius
• Posterior boundary: Sacrum
• Lateral boundary: Bony pelvis
• Contents: Pelvic cavity, pelvic wall, rectosigmoid colon, iliac vessels, urogenital organs (partial) [3][4]

Indications

The main indication of the Mattox maneuver is to explore the left and central retroperitoneal spaces to assess the organs and blood vessels. This exploration is commonly used in abdominal trauma and injuries to zone I or II with hemodynamic instability. Retroperitoneal tumors, sarcomas, or malignant metastasis are other indications for the Mattox Maneuver.

Preparation

To prepare to perform the Mattox maneuver, the following steps should be taken:

1. Preparation for anticipated severe abdominal bleeding is part of trauma centers' requirements. The surgeon and the OR team ensure a methodical effort to minimize start time.
2. The emergency team, ICU team, general and trauma team, anesthesia team, and clinical staff should be available and involved in providing care for severe intraabdominal bleeding.
3. Exploratory laparotomy is performed under general anesthesia after appropriate intravascular access is obtained. A nasogastric tube and an indwelling urinary catheter are inserted to decompress the stomach and the urinary bladder to decrease the risk of aspiration of gastric contents and monitor urine output.
4. The operative field for torso trauma extends from the chin to above the knees, between the posterior axillary lines, and with both arms fully abducted. This wide sterile field provides free access to the abdomen and chest and both groins while giving the anesthesia team access to both upper extremities and the head and neck.

Technique or Treatment

Mattox maneuver is a surgical technique used to mobilize the left and central abdominal organs and viscera medially with their integrity maintained. Knowing and using the appropriate avascular plane of dissection and mobilization is the key to this maneuver. Dissection starts by mobilizing the left and sigmoid colon by incising the white line of Toldt. This line is a lateral avascular reflection of the visceral peritoneum covering the colon and its mesentery over the lateral abdominal wall to become the parietal peritoneum. This opens the plane of dissection in the retroperitoneal space. Blunt dissection and mobilization can then be started in this plane. The splenic attachment to the diaphragm is then sharply dissected. The splenic attachments (to the colon and stomach) should be left intact. Most dissection and mobilization are done bluntly with minimal sharp or cautery dissection. Dissection continues medially at the same avascular plane, just superficial to the posterior abdominal muscles. Mobilization of the left colon mesentery with its main vessels, the left kidney and its pedicle, the spleen, the stomach, and the tail of the pancreas is done sequentially until the entire length of the aorta is explored.[4][5]

Left-sided medial visceral rotation used for aortic exposure in elective vascular surgery was a known maneuver before the Mattox Maneuver. There is 1 crucial anatomical detail that distinguishes these 2. The Mattox maneuver always includes retracting the left kidney because leaving it in place interposes the anterior renal fascia between the dissection plane and the aorta. By leaving the left kidney in place, the left renal vein does not allow access to the anterior aspect of the aorta and predisposes the left ureter to injury.[2]

Complications

Complications of the Mattox maneuver are potentially serious. The severity and acuity of the underlying conditions, the pace of the procedure in unstable trauma patients, and the multiple organs with their blood vessels handled in the procedure contribute to the occasional complications. The maneuver is considered life-saving in severe abdominal aortic traumatic injury to provide control of the bleeding. Therefore, complications are an acceptable cost for such an important step in serious injuries.

Complications can be due to the procedure and inadvertent injuries or an extension of the main trauma. Some of the known complications are:

1. Splenic injury is the most common iatrogenic complication
2. Avulsion of the descending lumbar vein from the left renal vein
3. Pancreatitis
4. GI ischemia related to retraction and congestion of arterial supply [6]

Clinical Significance

Controlling bleeding in traumatic intra-abdominal bleeding is of paramount importance in saving trauma victims. The severity and urgency of the condition require prompt and skillful surgical intervention. When the bleeding source is accessible inside the abdominopelvic cavity, control is relatively easy.[7] But when the bleeding source is a major blood vessel or is diffuse from multiple branches of a major vessel, controlling the bleeding becomes much more challenging mainly due to the anatomic location of the abdominal aorta. That is why it takes all the necessary steps of the Mattox maneuver to expose the aorta and achieve life-saving bleeding control.

Upon entering the abdominal cavity for severe bleeding, temporary hemorrhage control by packing is first considered. If major or retroperitoneal bleeding is suspected, the bleeding source site should be classified according to the 3 zones of the retroperitoneum described in the anatomy section above. This classification is valuable in facilitating decision making about the management approach.

Midline supra-mesocolic and infra-mesocolic injuries in Zone I by blunt or penetrating trauma are surgically explored as they imply an injury to the aorta, vena cava, or their major branches. Peri-renal blunt hematomas in zone II are managed non-operatively, while perirenal hematomas after penetrating trauma are explored surgically.

Retroperitoneal hemorrhage in the pelvis (zone III) usually arises in association with a pelvic fracture. This is a serious injury complex that carries a mortality of up to 30%. It is normally caused by injuries to the smaller vessels and venous plexus and bleeding from bone fragments.[8] This injury needs a multidisciplinary team of trauma surgeons, interventional radiologists, and orthopedic surgeons at a level I  trauma center.

Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes

Interprofessional teamwork is the key to improving the quality of patient management in critical settings such as trauma. While surgeons play the role of team leader, it is important to effectively communicate with all healthcare team members to improve the outcome. Thorough knowledge of anatomy and expertise is important in safely performing the Mattox maneuver. Emergency laparotomy for trauma to control severe bleeding is life-saving. Retroperitoneal injuries require formal exposure to control them and repair them.[9] The outcomes after trauma exploratory laparotomy depend on the patient's condition, ICU care, clinicians, and good physical therapy.