Purpose: Laparoscopic surgery for intestinal obstruction was considered a procedure which several years ago rarely would have been attempted. However, recently increased surgical experience and improved surgical instrumentation have facilitated this surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of laparoscopic surgery for intestinal obstruction.
Methods: From November 2001 to January 2005, 24 patients (10 males and 14 females) with intestinal obstruction were analyzed for a previous operative procedure, cause and location of ileus, operative procedure, postoperative clinical course, the level of satisfaction for surgery. The mean age of the patients was 50 years (range, 1∼84).
Results: Among 24 patients, 15 patients had prior abdominal surgery and the ileus was caused by intestinal adhesion (8 patients), bezoar (2 patients), internal hernia (1 patient), intussusception (1 patient), pelvic inflammatory disease (1 patient), recurrence of gastric cancer (1 patient), and ileal stenosis after radiotherapy (1 patient). 9 patients had no prior abdominal surgery and the ileus was caused by rectal obstruction due to abladder tumor (2 patients), carcinomatosis peritonei by ileal cancer (1 patient) and sigmoid colon cancer (1 patient), ileal tuberculosis (2 patients), pelvic inflammatory disease (1 patient), intussusception (2 patients). 9 patients had undergone HALS (hand assisted laparosopic surgery). The average time to flatus and diet was 1.9 and 4 days, respectively. At the postoperative interviews, 86% of patients were satisfied with the results.
Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery for the ileus can reduce complications by laparotomy and its applications can be extended with the use of the HALS. Because the level of satisfaction is high, it seems to be a useful surgery for intestinal obstruction.
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