Acute bowel entrapment and perforation following operative reduction of pelvic fracture

The potential for multiple organ system injury with pelvic fracture is well known. This report illustrates a case whereby medially displaced acetabular fragments had become adherent to small bowel. Delayed posterior pelvic open reduction caused entrapment of this bowel within the fracture site followed by acute obstruction and perforation.     

Small bowel perforation caused by a sharp bone: laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment

Small bowel perforation caused by sharp or pointed foreign bodies rarely is diagnosed preoperatively because clinical symptoms usually are nonspecific and can mimic other surgical conditions such as appendicitis and cecal diverticulitis. We report the case of a 57-year-old man who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy for abdominal pain of unknown etiology. Swelling and erythema were noted in a segment of small bowel in the right lower abdomen. A tiny sharp-pointed object was found penetrating the inflamed portion of the bowel. This foreign body was removed and the perforation immediately repaired under laparoscopic guidance. The postoperative course was uneventful. We believe that in cases of lower abdominal pain with peritoneal irritation, laparoscopy can provide not only a wide field of examination to localize intraabdominal pathology, but in some instances it can aid in case management.     

Small bowel perforation associated with intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal bladder perforation caused by stab wound to the penis.

We report an unusual case of small bowel and bladder perforation caused by a stab wound to the penis with preservation of intact corporeal penile bodies and urethra. Diagnosis of bladder perforation was made by the urethrogram and diagnosis of small bowel perforation was made by clinical signs even though the initial physical examination suggested neither of these conditions.     

Small bowel obstruction caused by appendiceal tourniquet

True mechanical small bowel obstruction because of appendicitis is extremely rare. A case is presented, and diagnosis and treatment principles are discussed.     

Occult rectal perforation in a major pelvic fracture

Major pelvic fractures are a common sequela of motor vehicle accidents. Hemorrhage, sepsis, and laceration of viscera contribute significantly to the patient's morbidity and mortality and should be promptly evaluated. Early use of computed tomography is helpful in establishing the integrity of viscera and tissue planes. Knowledge of the retroperitoneal pathways of spread of disease may significantly accelerate primary repairs and subsequent early return of function. A case illustrating these concepts is presented.     

Small bowel volvulus caused by migrating mesh plug

The choice of material and technique for repair of inguinal hernias is broad. The mesh plug technique has become one of these techniques. The local complications of this technique are well known and include entrapment and damage of nervous and reproductive structures causing pain and even infertility. Migration of the mesh recently has become evident. We found a few cases of migrating mesh plug in the literature. We report a 76-year-old male patient who presented during admission for a neurosurgical procedure. His hospital course was complicated by migrating mesh eroding into the small intestine presenting as a small bowel obstruction. During exploratory laparotomy, a small bowel volvulus was found and reduced along with resection of the bowel-mesh complex. We discuss and review this technique's complications, including a 9-year review of adverse events reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.     

Complete urethral rupture caused by pelvic fracture in females]

Complete urethral rupture caused by pelvic fracture in females is rare. In China except 6 cases treated at other institutions, we encountered 3 case of this kind injury from 1987 to 1989. Reviewing the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of the injury of 9 cases, we suggest that urethral reunion, traction by Foley's catheter and cystostomy should be performed routinely to raise the cure rate.     

Small bowel obstruction due to broad ligament hernia successfully treated by laparoscopy

We present the second case of a broad ligament hernia to be treated by laparoscopy. A 43-year-old gravida 0, para 0 woman presented to our hospital with a chief complaint of right upper quadrant abdominal colicky pain and vomiting. Her clinical history was significant for an "unknown" bowel surgery through a Pfannenstiel incision. Her abdomen was soft, nondistended, and slightly tender to palpation in the right upper quadrant. The laboratory tests showed an elevated white blood cell count of 15.2 [1] 109/L with a left shift, and a normal serum C-reactive protein. Plain abdominal X-rays showed a lightly prominent small bowel loop in the pelvic area. An abdominal ultrasound revealed only a small amount of fluid in the pouch of Douglas. After 24 hours, the pain had migrated to the hypogastrium. There was an increase in the white blood cell count, in the C-reactive protein level, and in her temperature (37.7 degrees C). At this stage, we elected to perform an urgent laparoscopic exploration. We discovered 60-80 cm of ileum strangulated through a 2 x 3 cm defect in the left broad ligament of the uterus. The strangulated bowel was successfully reduced and the defect was closed with a 2-0 silk running suture. No bowel resection was required. The patient was discharged from the hospital on day 4, with no postoperative complications.     

Gamma-guided diagnostic peritoneal lavage for detection of bowel perforation

HYPOTHESIS: Bowel perforation can be diagnosed by detection of orally administered technetium Tc 99m sulfur colloid ((99m)Tc SC) in diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) fluid using a handheld gamma-detection probe. DESIGN: A canine intestinal-injury model was used to test the hypothesis. The (99m)Tc SC (55.5 MBq) was administered in 500 mL of saline via a nasogastric tube. A DPL with 500 mL of saline was performed at 60, 90, and 120 minutes after administration of (99m)Tc SC. The radioactivity in the DPL effluent was measured using a handheld gamma probe. A DPL effluent count that was 3 SDs above the background count was considered a positive test result. Twenty animals with perforation and 5 without perforation (negative control) were studied. RESULTS: There were no false-positive gamma-DPL test results. Sensitivity improved by time up to 90 minutes. The lowest positive count in the DPL effluent measured by the gamma probe corresponded to 0.2% of the administered activity. No radioactivity was detected in blood and urine samples or liver and spleen specimens. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values at 90 minutes were 95%, 100%, 96%, 100%, and 83%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: gamma-Guided DPL is a highly sensitive and 100% specific test in the detection of small-bowel perforation. Clinical studies are warranted to determine the patient-specific factors affecting diagnostic accuracy.     

The diagnostic value of laparoscopy in women with chronic pelvic pain

Laparoscopy was performed in 130 patients with chronic pelvic pain. Laparoscopy confirmed the preoperative diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in 41 of 63 women with preoperative diagnosis of chronic PID (65%), whereas in 8 (13%), no pathologic findings were revealed. Laparoscopy directed the management in all 67 women who underwent the procedure to establish a diagnosis; in 16 (24%) of these, no pathologic findings were revealed. Of the total group, laparoscopy prevented laparotomy in 20 cases. These results are in accord with those of previous studies and emphasize the importance of laparoscopy in the management of women with chronic pelvic pain.