Shahzad Alam Shah, Mohammad Zahid, Abul Fazal Ali Khan.
The role of Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Elective and Emergency Surgery.
Ann King Edward Med Uni Jan ;9(4):299-302.

To evaluate the role of diagnostic laparoscopy in the elective and emergency obscure abdominal conditions. Study Design: This is a prospective randomized study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at Department of Surgery Lahore General Hospital, Lahore from December 2000 to December 2001. Subject/Methods: The study includes 50 patients having elective and emergency obscure abdominal conditions that were subjected to diagnostic laparoscopy under general anesthesia. Results: In all of the 50 patients the laparoscopy was successfully performed. The overall diagnostic accuracy was 74 percent. In 78% of patients an unnecessary laparotomy was avoided. Out of the 22 patients evaluated with emergency conditions, 17(77.27%) had definite diagnosis and 16(72.72%) patients were spared of unnecessary laparotomy. In elective cases diagnostic accuracy was 71.42% and in 23(82.14%) patients a laparotomy was avoided. Conclusion: Laparoscopy has high diagnostic accuracy in both routine and emergency patients. It is a safe, reliable and simple diagnostic procedure, which gives larger latitude for decision making. The use of laparoscopy in trained hands as a diagnostic modality can avoid unnecessary surgery or delay in surgery, wherever diagnostic dilemma arose. It permits the definitive diagnosis of many abdominal diseases by inspection alone, or combined with biopsy.

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