Abstract

The laparoscopic approach has represented a major step forward in general and emergency surgery. Its application in the emergency setting still raises a number of concerns that limit its more widespread use. To assess the true scope of laparoscopic surgery in the acute abdominal setting, we retrospectively evaluated our experience. From February 2003 to June 2007, 314 patients underwent an emergency laparoscopic operation, for low abdominal pain (193 patients), acute cholecystitis (78 patients), bowel obstruction (18 patients), diffuse peritonitis (16 patients), blunt abdominal trauma (6 patients), and acute pancreatitis (3 patients). Laparoscopy yielded a good diagnostic definition in all cases. The conversion rate was 16.6% (52 patients). Mean operative time was 63 +/- 29 minutes. The general major morbidity rate was 1.5% (4 patients) and the mortality rate was 0.4% (1 pt.). The laparoscopic approach in patients with abdominal emergencies is a useful tool that yields a reliable diagnostic definition in uncertain cases and allows minimal access treatment of the causative disease in the majority of cases.