Open abdomen for intra-abdominal hypertension, procedures and evaluation        ZHU Wei-ming. Department of General Surgery, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command, Nanjing210002, China
Abstract    Open abdomen plays an important role in damage control surgery, it is used not only in the treatment of intra-abdominal sepsis and trauma, but also in intra-abdominal hypertension refractory to medical treatment. Open abdomen consists of two elements: open the abdomen and temporary abdominal closure. Open the abdomen reduces intra-abdominal pressure, temporary abdominal closure protect the viscera, drain the intra-abdominal fluid, and prevent fascial retraction. Temporary abdominal closure is classified into skin closure technique, fascia closure technique, and vacuum assist closure technique. Skin closure technique is simple, but often lead to ventral hernia, and vacuum assist closure technique facilitate early definite closure, and is approved widely.