Which of the following is listed as a post-operative injury that can occur later after surgery?

• A. Anastomotic leak
• B. Partial thickness injuries
• C. Non-visualized electrosurgical burn
• D. Devascularization/ischemia

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is recognizing a complication that can appear after the patient has left the operating room: a leak at the surgical connection (anastomosis). An anastomotic leak happens when the joined ends of tissue—often bowel or another hollow structure—do not heal adequately, allowing contents to seep into the abdomen. This failure can show up days after the operation with symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, tachycardia, or evolving sepsis, making it a classic late post-operative injury.

Other options describe injuries that are typically identified during the operation or are immediate in nature. Partial thickness injuries and non-visualized electrosurgical burns are usually recognized intraoperatively or very soon after, not as late post-op injuries. Devascularization or ischemia can contribute to tissue failure and late problems, but the specific late post-operative injury most classically listed is an anastomotic leak, which directly reflects the failure of the surgical connection to maintain containment after healing has begun.