Evaluation of the role of laparoscopic guided liver biopsy during a therapeutic laparoscopic procedure in detecting early cirrhotic changes of the liver in patients at risk

ABSTRACT

We have included in this study 100 patients, who have undergone different therapeutic laparoscopic operations. All these patients proved not to have liver cirrhosis, preoperatively, according to the results of preoperative laboratory tests and imaging studies done for these patients but had a risk factor for development of liver cirrhosis. Laparoscopic appearance of the liver was evaluated and laparoscopic guided liver biopsies were taken from all patients and sent for histopathological examination. 46 patients of our studied patients have proved to have liver cirrhosis and/or fibrosis, and we did not have any intraoperative or postoperative complications from the sites of biopsy. This reflects the important role of laparoscopic guided liver biopsy as a very safe procedure to detect early pathological changes of the liver not detectable by routine preoperative investigations, and it is better to be done for all patients who are going to be operated by laparoscopy, and having a risk factor for developing liver cirrhosis