Diagnostic and Therapeutic Value of Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Patient with Chronic Abdominal Pain

Abstract

Chronic abdominal pain is a troublesome dilemma confronting both the medical and surgical care professionals. These patients are submitted to a lot of diagnostic investigations but no precise etiology of their problem could be elucidated. Diagnostic laparoscopy, apart from visualizing the entire abdominal cavity, allows us to take precise biopsies. Laparoscopy also offers a therapeutic solution for many causes of chronic abdominal pain. Methods : Patient with the inclusion criteria underwent diagnostic laparoscopy for chronic abdominal pain over the last three years from January 2011 to December 2013. The patient’s demographic data, duration of abdominal pain, diagnostic studies, intra-operative findings, interventions and follow-up results were recorded. Results : In this study, 80 patients with an average age of 23 ±14.76 years underwent diagnostic laparoscopy for the evaluation and treatment of chronic abdominal pain. The average duration of pain was 8± 2.85 months. Findings included intra-abdominal tuberculousis in 4 patients, internal herniation in 2 patients, significant intra-abdominal adhesions in 18 patients, secondary intessusception in 2 patients, abdominal lymphadenopathy due to lymphoma in 2 patients, cecal diverticulum in 2 patients and subacute appendicitis in 19 patients, Chron's disease in 2 patients, endometriosis in 3 patients and inflamed Meckle's diverticulum in 1 patient. Conclusion : Diagnostic laparoscopy is an effective and safe diagnostic and therapeutic tool in evaluating patients with chronic abdominal pain.