title: Wound complications following laparoscopic surgery in a nigerian hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Different complications may occur at laparoscopic port sites. The incidence of these varies with the size of the ports and the types of procedure performed through them.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to observe the rate and types of complications attending laparoscopic port wounds and to identify risk factors for their occurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective descriptive study of all patients who had laparoscopic operations in one general surgery unit of a University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria between January 2009 and December 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 236 (155 female and 81 male) patients were included. The laparoscopic procedures include 63 cholecystectomies, 49 appendectomies, 62 diagnostic, biopsy and staging procedures, 22 adhesiolyses, six colonic surgeries, eight hernia repairs and 22 others. Port site complications occurred in 18 (2.8%) ports on 16 (6.8%) patients including port site infections in 12 (5.1%) and hypertrophic scars in 4 (1.7%) patients, while one patient each had port site bleeding and port site metastasis. Nine of 11 infections were superficial, while eight involved the umbilical port wound.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Port site complications are few following laparoscopic surgeries in our setting. We advocate increased adoption of laparoscopic surgeries in Nigeria to reduce wound complications that commonly follow conventional open surgeries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Adewale O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Adisa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olusegun I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Alatise
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Elugwaraonu A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Agbakwuru
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria.
authors.forename: David O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Akinola
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olusanya
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adejuyigbe
keywords: Laparoscopy; Nigeria; wound complications