Emergency laparoscopy for acute abdominal conditions: a prospective study

BACKGROUND: Currently, emergency laparoscopic surgery for acute abdominal conditions has become the favored surgical approach; therefore, we investigated the diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic efficacy of laparoscopy in acute abdominal pain in Saudi Arabian patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 176 patients with acute abdominal pain (113 patients with pain localized to the right iliac region [group A] and 63 patients with generalized abdominal pain [group B] underwent emergency laparoscopy between January 2002 and December 2006. We evaluated the initial clinical diagnosis, the laparoscopic diagnosis, and the outcome in these two groups of patients. RESULTS: In group A, a definitive diagnosis was established at laparoscopy in 89% of patients, and it was therapeutic in 81.4% of the patients, and in 9 patients (8%) a conversion to laparotomy was necessary a to manage their condition. In group B, the diagnosis was accurate in 87% of patients, and it was therapeutic in 79.4% of the patients, and in 5 patients (8%) a conversion to laparotomy was necessary. There was no mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The emergency laparoscopy is a diagnostic and therapeutic option in the majority of acute abdominal pain conditions.