The role of laparoscopic adhesiolysis in chronic abdominal pain.
BACKGROUND
Intraperitoneal adhesions seem to be a possible cause of chronic abdominal pain, but reports of their etiological role are controversial. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis has been proposed as treatment of choice, even tough reports of success are contradictory. The aim of our prospective study, was to determine whether laparoscopic adhesiolysis ameliorates chronic abdominal pain in patients with pathological abdominal adhesions.


METHODS
Forty-five patients with chronic abdominal pain, lasting for more than 6 months, without abnormal findings other than pathological intraperitoneal adhesions found at laparoscopy, underwent laparoscopic adhesiolysis.


RESULTS
Forty-one patients (91.1%) were available for follow-up after an average time interval of 18 months (range: 12-41 months): 24 patients (58.5%) were free from abdominal pain; 10 (24.4%) reported significant amelioration of pain, while 7 (17.1%) patients had no amelioration.


CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopy is an efficient means of assessing patients with chronic abdominal pain, and laparoscopic adhesiolysis cures or ameliorates. Chronic abdominal pain in more than 80% of patients.
Schietroma
M
M
Chair of Geriatric Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Carlei
F
F
Altilia
F
F
Carloni
A
A
Mattucci
S
S
Agnifili
A
A
Maira
E
E
Antonellis
M
M
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*