Surgical approach to body packing.
OBJECTIVE
Body packers, i.e. individuals carrying illegal drug packages in their bodies, are usually managed medically. For the minority, surgical intervention is needed.


METHODS
We review our experience to compare surgical and nonsurgical approaches for treating symptomatic body-packing patients.


RESULTS
From April 2004 to March 2007, 45 patients were referred to our hospital. Nine of them underwent surgical intervention. The number of packets and total swallowed drugs were more among surgically-treated patients (P = 0.003, 0.004 respectively). The mean duration between drug swallowing and admission to the hospital was longer among surgically-treated patients (P = 0.001). Surgically-treated patients were more symptomatic. Resistant toxicity and symptomatic cocaine and heroin mixture packing were the most common indications for surgery. Surgery was usually performed without any complication.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical intervention is indicated for body packers with persistent nonresponsive toxicity, gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation, and symptomatic cocaine packers.
Yegane
Rooh-Allah
RA
Department of Surgery, Loqman-Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Yeganeh33_r@yahoo.com
Bashashati
Mohammad
M
Hajinasrollah
Esmail
E
Heidari
Kamran
K
Salehi
Noor-Allah
NA
Ahmadi
Mina
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003679:Deglutition; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000506:poisoning; D007223:Infant; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000506:poisoning; D055815:Young Adult
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D009294:Narcotics