Sistema Gastrointestinal e Digestivo

Abstrato

Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Management of Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction: A Rare Case

Dilip Dan, Nigel Bascombe, Dave Harnanan, Shariful Islam and Vijay Naraynsingh

Introduction: We present the management of a patient who failed conservative management of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO), which was treated with laparoscopic lysis of adhesions.

Presentation of Case: A 66 year old, hypertensive, diabetic patient with previous gynaecological surgery presents with symptoms of intestinal obstruction for 2 days. Clinical & radiological features are consistent with the diagnosis of SBO. Conservative treatment was started but the patient failed to show any signs of resolution. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis was successfully performed on thin adhesions between the liver and the anterior abdominal wall (possible Fitz-Hugh Curtis syndrome), which trapped the small bowel. The patient was discharged on day 4 of admission.

Discussion: ASBO is a very common and actual disease and its management deserves great attention. Although surgeons are hesitant to perform laparoscopy in patients with distended small bowel due to adhesive obstruction, laparoscopic surgery performed by experienced surgeons offers the opportunity of shorter hospital stay, quick recovery and less morbidity, including wound sepsis and incisional hernia when compared with laparotomy.

Conclusion: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in ASBO is not standard of care, however, selected patients may benefit from the advantages of this approach. Once the necessary expertises are available, an attempt to treat these patients with MIS may be safe, and as such, should be entertained.