# Initial surgical management of injuries to the urogenital tract in patients with polytrauma and/or severe injuries: a systematic review and clinical practice guideline update

## TL;DR

This paper updates clinical guidelines for managing urogenital injuries in patients with severe or multiple injuries, based on the latest evidence and expert consensus.

## Contribution

The paper provides updated, evidence-based recommendations for the initial surgical management of urogenital injuries in polytrauma patients.

## Key findings

- Endovascular approaches are recommended for managing renal artery injuries.
- Renal injuries should be managed with organ preservation in mind, depending on injury type and severity.
- Extraperitoneal bladder ruptures without bladder neck involvement should be treated conservatively with catheterisation.

## Abstract

Our aim was to update evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations for the initial surgical management of urogenital injuries in patients with polytrauma and/or severe injuries based on current evidence. This guideline topic is part of the 2022 update of the German Guideline on the Treatment of Patients with Polytrauma and/or Severe Injuries.

MEDLINE and Embase were systematically searched to June 2021. Randomised controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, and comparative registry studies were included if they compared surgical and/or therapeutic interventions for urogenital injuries in the hospital setting. We considered patient-relevant clinical outcomes such as mortality and bleeding control, or coagulation parameters as surrogate outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using NICE 2012 checklists. The evidence was synthesised narratively, and expert consensus was used to develop recommendations and determine their strength.

Two new studies were identified. The topics covered were the comparison of outcomes after surgical and nonsurgical management as well as the use of surgical repair versus catheter drainage in patients with extraperitoneal bladder injuries. Three recommendations were modified, one of which for editorial reasons. All achieved strong consensus.

The following key recommendations are made. 1. Renal artery injuries can be managed using an endovascular approach. 2. Depending on the type and severity of the injury and concomitant injuries, renal injuries should be managed with the intent to preserve the organ. 3. Extraperitoneal bladder ruptures without involvement of the bladder neck should be conservatively treated with catheterisation.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00068-025-02847-1.