2026 Volume 46 Issue 3 Pages 434-437
Traumatic injuries caused by industrial blasts are comparatively rare in Japan. Herein, we report the case of a patient with abdominal blast injuries who was treated by laparoscopic surgery. A man in his 40s with injuries caused by explosion of a stainless steel pipe in a factory was brought to our hospital by ambulance. His vital signs were stable, but there were multiple lacerations on his face, limbs, and left abdominal region. Abdominal examination revealed tenderness only in the lacerated area, with no signs of peritoneal irritation. Contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography showed free intraperitoneal gas and a omit foreign body within the abdominal cavity; therefore, we performed emergency surgery. Extensive laparoscopic exploration of the abdominal cavity showed the foreign body on the anterior surface of the descending colon and damage of the serosa at this site. We removed the foreign body and performed intestinal repair. We removed the foreign body. The injury was graded D Ia according to the Gastrointestinal Damage Classification 2008 by the Japanese Association for The Surgery of Trauma. The patient was discharged home on postoperative Day 15. There are no previous reports of blast injuries being treated by laparoscopic surgery in Japan, and the present case suggests that this operative technique could be useful for the treatment of abdominal blast injuries if the patient’s general status and intraperitoneal conditions permit such surgery.
