SCREENING LAPAROSCOPY FOR PENETRATING ANTERIOR ABDOMINAL INJURY: A 3-YEAR EXPERIENCE IN JOSE R. REYES MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER co.erneststephen@yahoo.com

 

SCREENING LAPAROSCOPY FOR PENETRATING ANTERIOR ABDOMINAL INJURY: A 3-YEAR EXPERIENCE IN JOSE R. REYES MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER

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Philippines

Poster Exhibition only

This study evaluates the effectiveness of screening laparoscopy in managing penetrating anterior abdominal trauma, focusing on outcomes for patients with negative results to emphasize its role in minimizing non-therapeutic surgeries.

A retrospective review was conducted on 37 hemodynamically stable patients with penetrating anterior abdominal injuries who underwent screening laparoscopy at Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center from January 2020 to December 2023. Data were collected from trauma registries and medical records. Inclusion criteria were hemodynamically stable patients with penetrating anterior abdominal trauma and a non-surgical abdomen or equivocal findings. Exclusion criteria included blunt trauma, unstable hemodynamics, a surgical abdomen requiring immediate laparotomy, or incomplete medical records.

Of the 37 patients, 23 (62.2%) had no peritoneal violation, with an average hospital stay of 2.65 days, minimal blood loss, and a procedure time of 36.3 minutes. No intraoperative or immediate postoperative complications occurred. Fourteen patients (37.8%) with peritoneal violation proceeded with outright exploratory laparotomy; 8 (57.1%) had concomitant intra-abdominal injuries, also without complications. All patients with negative findings were monitored postoperatively for 6 months with no delayed complications or missed injuries reported.

Screening laparoscopy effectively assesses peritoneal violation, prevents unnecessary laparotomies, and reduces morbidity in stable patients with penetrating anterior abdominal injuries.