Laparoscopic Surgery for Strangulated Bowel Obstruction

Abstract

We retrospectively examined the usefulness of laparoscopic surgery for strangulated bowel obstruction in our hospital. Twenty-six strangulated bowel obstruction patients (strangulated group) and 56 non-strangulated bowel obstruction patients (non-strangulated group) during the same time were compared and examined for the operations after 2002. The proportions of patients with a past history of laparotomy was 65.4% for the strangulated group, and 80.4% for non-strangulated group. The history of bowel obstruction was significantly lower in the strangulated group at 19.2% compared with 48.2% in the non-strangulated group. In the strangulated group, there were many cases in which the operation was carried out without reduced pressure. Intestinal resections were frequently done in the strangulated group and conversions to laparotomy were frequently done in the non-strangulated group, but there were no significant differences. The mean operating time was 89.0 minutes which was significantly shorter in the strangulated group than 144.2 minutes in the non-strangulated group, and the average hospitalization period was 9 days which was significantly shorter in the strangulated group compared with 14 days in the non-strangulation group. Laparoscopic surgery is more useful for strangulated bowel obstruction than non-strangulated bowel obstruction regarding operation time and postoperative hospitalization days.