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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21088/nijs.0976.4747.8317.6

Abstract

Patients will chronic abdominal pain are the most difficult to diagnose and treat. Potentially it can be unrewarding for both patients and treating physician 1. Thereby affecting patients both physically and mentally. Chronic abdominal pain is associated with poor quality of life 2 and onset of depressive symptoms. 3 Most patients in this group have already undergone numerous diagnostic procedures, including upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopies, Ct scans, screening for undetected carcinomas, apart from routine blood investigations. This is the time when surgeon is approached, when all other non-invasive investigations have failed to reach a satisfying conclusion. Clearly diagnostic laparoscopy is an important intermediate option between refusing to explore a patient’s abdomen and performing laparotomy 4. Diagnostic Laparoscopy with advances in optics gives perfect visual of whole abdomen and further gives therapeutic advantages as well, which includes target biopsies, staging of cancers, various gynaecological pathologies. Laparoscopy is as much a surgical procedure as an exploratory laparotomy, often just as informative, and to a skilled laparoscopic surgeon affords a better view of entire peritoneal cavity than usual exploratory laparotomy. To achieve a high rate of positive diagnosis from laparoscopy requires much more than trained hands, it requires thorough background of surgery, sound clinical knowledge and perception of abdominal pathologies. Most importantly it avoids unnecessary negative laparotomy in many cases. Moreover early recovery and ambulation of patients helps them get back to daily chores and is source of delight for treating doctor.

 

Keywords : Diagnostic Laparoscopy; Chronic Abdominal Pain 

Corresponding Author : Karan Sehgal, Postgraduate, Dept. of General Surgery, Adichunchangiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagamangala Taluk, Mandya Dist, B G Nagara, Karnataka 571448, India.