Tension pneumoperitoneum following upper endoscopy.

Perforation of the digestive tract is a rare complication of endoscopy. Massive accumulation of air within the peritoneum resulting in the abdominal compartment syndrome is much less common with <20 cases reported. In this report we present a case of jejunal perforation during an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy that resulted in tension physiology with mesenteric ischemia, severe acidosis, renal failure, coagulopathy and massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The patient had a sudden onset of shock as soon as her abdomen was decompressed, indicating that she possibly developed a reperfusion injury. She did not respond to resuscitative efforts and ultimately died.

Clinical factors associated with success in applying laparoscopy in the management of small bowel obstruction at a tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive techniques have become standard approaches for many common surgical problems. However, the routine use of laparoscopy in the management of small bowel obstruction (SBO) has yet to be fully standardized. The objective of this study was to determine clinical factors associated with success of laparoscopy in managing SBO. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted by identifying all patients admitted to a large tertiary center with a diagnosis of SBO from 2014 to 2016. The operative cases were stratified by surgical approach: laparoscopy, laparoscopy converted to open, or laparotomy. Univariable analysis compared patient demographics and comorbidities between the laparoscopic and laparoscopic converted to open group. The primary outcome was successful laparoscopic procedure in the management of SBO, defined as resolution of SBO, and no conversion from laparoscopic to open procedures. Student's t test or Pearson's χ2 test were used to assess associations between factors and primary outcome. RESULTS: A total of 227 adult patients admitted with a diagnosis of SBO received operative intervention. There were 40 successful laparoscopic cases (52.6%) and 36 failed laparoscopic cases (47.4%). With the exception of an association between success of laparoscopy and BMI, the results demonstrated no other demographic or clinical differences among the successful versus failed laparoscopic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopy is effective in treating SBOs due to various etiologies including single band or multiple adhesions, hernias, or masses. Other than BMI, there was no single predictor of success or failure with laparoscopy. Therefore, we conclude that perhaps all patients requiring operative treatment for SBO deserve consideration for a diagnostic laparoscopy.