title: Relaparotomy. A ten-year series.
abstract: A review of the literature covering c. 158,000 laparotomies shows that acute relaparotomy has an incidence of 1.0% and a mortality rate of 43%. Over and above this, rupture of the abdominal wound, which illogically is often considered separately, occurs in 0.6% of all laparotomies and carries a mortality of 34% in the 179,000 laparotomies reviewed in this article. Our own series of 121 relaparotomies in 16,719 cases of laparotomy (an incidence of 0.72%, including burst abdomen) with a 28.1% mortality is discussed. Indications for relaparotomy have included haemorrhage (19%), ileus (25%), peritonitis (32%), wound rupture (22%), and other causes (2%).
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000601:surgery; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors