Abstract
Recent advances of laparoscopic procedures, the management for small bowel obstruction have been made laparoscopically in many institutions. However, many patients with small bowel obstruction present with histories of various abdominal surgeries in which it was difficult to maintain the operative fields because of dilated bowels. In this paper, we reviewed the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic management of small bowel obstruction in 11 patients (7 men, 4 women; average age, 66 years). The average numbers of trocars used in these procedures was 3.9. Seven patients had a partial resection of the small bowel at small laparotomy. The average operation time and amount of blood loss were 100 min and 10 g, respectively. The length of postoperative hospitalization was 16.8 days. Postoperative bowel obstruction occurred in 2 patients, and these patients were treated conservatively. In conclusion, laparoscopic management of small bowel obstruction offers a safe and effective surgical alternative. However, the identification of the site of obstruction through preoperative imaging diagnosis and sufficient preoperative decompression of the intestine are required.
