No abstract

Background: Abdominal pain is a common complaint in the surgical department. Emergency laparoscopy in patients with "acute abdomen" is a part of common surgical practice.Objective: Evaluation of the role of laparoscopy in management of acute abdominal pain.Patients and Methods: 100 patients with acute abdominal pain presented to the Department of Surgery, Al-Hussein and Al Minia Health Insurance Hospitals were included in the study during the period from April 2018 to April 2019. They were divided into two groups: known preoperative diagnosis (therapeutic n= 67 patients) and unknown (diagnostic and therapeutic n= 33 patients). Their ages ranged between 12 and 60 years old (35 patients were males and 65 patients were females). Laparoscopy was performed for all patients under general anesthesia. Results:The definitive diagnosis was established in 99 % of cases. 64 % of those cases were managed successfully by use of laparoscopy and conversion rate was 33 %. Time required for each operation varied according to the procedure. Intraoperative morbidity was 7 %, post-operative complications were 11 % and the mortality of study was 1%. Conclusion:Laparoscopic intervention for abdominal emergencies is safe, feasible and effective. It resulted in minor trauma, has a rapid postoperative recovery, and reduced morbidity. Laparoscopy can help to avoid unnecessary non-therapeutic laparotomies. It can also help to guide the operating surgeon for choosing the proper targeted incision.