Can Bowel Injury be Prevented During Laparoscopic Surgery? A Case Report and Literature Review

Objective: Laparoscopic gynecologic surgery has gained worldwide popularity in the past few years, but complications of this technique do occur. Bowel injuries, which may occur as a result of the insertion of an insufflation needle or trocar, are a rare complication of laparoscopy. They are generall...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Meng-Tzung Wu, Lim-Woh Koh, Song-Nan Chow
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2004-12-01
Series:Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1028455909600905
Description
Summary:Objective: Laparoscopic gynecologic surgery has gained worldwide popularity in the past few years, but complications of this technique do occur. Bowel injuries, which may occur as a result of the insertion of an insufflation needle or trocar, are a rare complication of laparoscopy. They are generally recognized either immediately or within a few days postoperatively. Case Report: We present a case of laparoscopic perforation of the small bowel in a patient who had previously undergone surgery for an ectopic pregnancy and an adhesive ileus. After converting to a laparotomy, a jejunal loop adhesive to the anterior abdominal wall was discovered at the site of the trocar puncture. One puncture hiatus was observed and sutured. The follow-up was uneventful. Conclusion: The incidence of bowel injuries occurring during access and surgical procedures significantly decreases with experience. Most importantly, if trocar injury does accidentally occur, laparoscopists must be alert to the possibility, detect it early, take proper action and manage the complications to reduce morbidity and mortality.
ISSN:1028-4559