Surgical services and transformation of civil hospital during "August War 2008" in Georgia.

Structural transformation of a civil hospital into a military one during "August War 2008" (August 8-12) in Georgia is presented. Damage-control principles, such as hemorrhage control, liver-packing and abdominal tamponade, gastrointestinal tract resection without formation of anastomoses, and other temporary interventions were prioritized. This provided a chance to empty the hospital in a short period to provide the admission of an increased number of combat casualties. There were soldiers from Georgian troops, civilians, and captives of war. The number of total admitted patients was 739. Fifty-two patients were operated on in the surgery department. The following operations were carried out: removal of foreign bodies from the neck region, 6 cases; isolated thoracotomy, pulmorrhaphy, and drainage, 2 cases; laparotomy, hepatorrhaphy, gastrorrhaphy, splenectomy, resection of small intestine, and colostomy, 18 cases; combined operations (thoracotomy plus laparotomy), 9 cases; extended debridement and dressing of wounds, 11 cases; angiosurgical operations, 4 cases; and coloplasty, 2 cases. There were 2 cases of mortality, 1 case of rethoracotomy, and 3 cases of relaparotomy: 2 because of intracavital bleeding and 1 because of sanation.