The place of laparoscopy in the management of the patients with penetrating abdominal trauma

INTRODUCTION: In patients with an abdominal knife wound, the main problem is to determine whether the abdominal trauma is penetrating. The aim of this work is to study the safety of the laparoscopic approach in the management of abdominal knife trauma. MATERIALS: A laparoscopy was performing in sixty patients. Patients were dispatched in four categories according to the laparoscopic findings. A laparotomy was performed after laparoscopy in case of peritoneal tear. RESULTS: Unnecessary laparotomy was avoided in 58% of the patients. The follow-up was favourable with nil mortality and a low morbidity (3%). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic management of abdominal wound knife trauma is a reliable approach to identify a peritoneum tear. This specific situation requires a laparotomy to look for an intra abdominal tear.