Complications in Laparoscopy

Abstract

The numberous benefits and the minimal but acknowledged risks of laparoscopy are discussed. Factors related to complications include operator experience, instrument and equipment technology, types of procedures, and anesthesia.

Bowel injury as a complication of laparoscopy

“…Yet another factor might be the experience of the surgeon. During the first part of the laparoscopic learning curve the risk of complications is greater 6,12,14,19,37 . As most papers reviewed were published in the 1990s, they may not be representative of current practice.…”

“…However, bowel perforation with delayed diagnosis is still mostly treated with a laparotomy in order to evaluate the entire abdomen 3,16 . It has been suggested that burn spots and other serosal damage should be treated immediately to avoid serious morbidity 16,32,37 .…”

Management of laparoscopic-related bowel injuries

“…Phillips [10] and Deziel et al [5] have correlated the incidence of complications in the course of laparoscopy with the surgeon's experience with the particular procedure and the specific difficulties encountered during the operation. In our study, 50% of the injuries occurred at the hands of experienced surgeons who had already performed >100 laparoscopic procedures [18].…”

Management of Descending Duodenal Injuries Secondary to Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

“…Croce et al [14] also suggest avoiding the use of sharp-pointed suction/irrigation devices to retract the duodenum. The risk of complication in the course of laparoscopic surgery is said to relate to the operator’s experience with the procedure and the difficulty of the operation [4, 7, 15, 16] but may also occur in the hands of experienced surgeons [2, 17, 18]. …”