Abstract
Objective: To evaluate laparoscopy as a diagnostic and therapeutic method in selected cases in abdominal trauma, and its value in avoiding unnecessary laparotomies at Al-Jumhoori Teaching Hospital in Mosul, Iraq.
Patients and methods: From October 2009 to October 2011, sixty hemodynamically stable patients who were admitted with abdominal trauma (48 blunt, and 12 penetrating injuries), were submitted to diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) in the operating theatre of the Emergency Department of Al-Jumhoori Teaching Hospital in Mosul. Data collected and analyzed.
Results: Negative and non therapeutic laparotomies were avoided in 38 patients (63.3%), and laparoscopic intervention was done in 4 patients (17.4%). The mean hospital stay of the (DL) negative patients was 2.1 days, and for the (DL) positive patients with laparoscopic intervention was 2.4 days, while of the patients with therapeutic laparotomy was 5.7 days. All the patients were discharged with no reported complication and no deaths were reported.
Conclusion: Laparoscopy can be performed safely and effectively in hemodynamically stable patients with abdominal trauma. The most important advantages are reduction of the negative and non therapeutic laparotomy rate and shortening of hospitalization.
Keywords: Blunt abdominal trauma, penetrating abdominal trauma, diagnostic laparoscopy.
