title: Laparoscopy for management of nontraumatic acute abdomen.
abstract: The diagnostic and therapeutic influence of laparoscopy has been studied in 255 patients presenting with nontraumatic acute abdominal pain. Laparoscopy provided a correct diagnosis in 93% (236 of 255) of the cases, the others requiring a laparotomy. An erroneous preoperative diagnosis was corrected by laparoscopy in 50 patients (20%), which called for a change of treatment in 25 patients (10%). Seventy-three percent (186 of 255) of acute abdominal conditions were treated exclusively by laparoscopy, 23% (58 of 255) by conventional surgery, and 4% (11 of 255) by laparoscopically assisted surgery. Mortality was 2% (5 of 247) and morbidity 11% (28 of 247). We conclude that laparoscopy is a valuable tool for the general surgeon facing a patient with an acute abdomen.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Générale, Digestive et Urologique, Hôpital St. Joseph, Gilly (Charleroi), Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Navez
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: d'Udekem
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cambier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richir
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Pierpont
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guiot
mesh_terms: D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015996:Survival Rate