Efficacy of Laparoscopy in Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Abdominal Pain of Unknown Origin

Abstract

Chronic abdominal pain of unknown origin is a challenging diagnosis encountered by clinicians. Patients often undergo an extensive workup and long periods of uncertainty without the establishment of a definitive diagnosis. Diagnostic laparoscopy is a relatively safe procedure that can be used as an effective diagnostic and therapeutic tool in treating this disease. This was a retrospective, single-institution study exploring the efficacy of diagnostic laparoscopy in treating chronic abdominal pain of unknown origin. More than 90 per cent of laparoscopies resulted in a positive finding, with adhesions being the most common. A total of 50 per cent of patients experienced resolution of symptoms on follow-up. Patients were overwhelmingly satisfied with their postoperative outcomes and willing to undergo the procedure again with their outcomes in mind.