Abdominal access injuries in laparoscopic surgery, a retrospective study

ABSTRACT

This study was performed to assess the incidence, diagnosis, management and morbidity and mortality of laparoscopic access injuries. Using available injury based reports,patients documents and some available video tape recording of some laparoscopic procedures, 54 patients were collected and reported of having laparoscopic access injuries out of total 608 laparoscopic surgical and gynecological procedures done in Kasr Elaini teaching hospital during the period from August 2001 to April 2003 representing 8.8% of the total cases in comparison to what was reported in the literature which showed low incidence of these access injuries ranging from 5/10000 to 1.3%. Most of the reported injuries were minor vascular injuries [2.6%] and extraperitoneal gas insufflation [3.7%]. These minor complications caused only some technical difficulties during the procedures but they had no impact upon morbidity and mortality of the patients and were managed conservatively. Major retroperitoneal vascular injuries and visceral injuries, although represented minor incidence in our study 0.5% and 1.3% respectively, yet they were the major source of morbidity and mortality to the patients. Not only so but they also necessitate termination of the primary procedure and conversion to open surgery for their management. It seems that there is no single method of laparoscopic access safer than the other since there was no significant difference between them in inducing injury. In although laparoscopic access injuries seem to be of low incidence, yet they should be minimized. Since access injuries may be the result of integration between patient related factors, surgeons factors and the technique of access, so adoption of good laparoscopic technique, improvement of learning curve of junior surgeons proper site selection and port placement and proper choice of equipment, all may reduce the risk of access complications