DIAGNOSTIC LAPAROSCOPY

Abstract

Diagnostik laparoscopy (DL) is slowly gaining popularity among general surgeons in parallel to the developments of the technipues of laparoscopic surgery. DL was performed on 25 cases admitted to the 6th Surgical Clinic of Ankara Numune Hospital between 1994 and 1996. in these patients final diagnosis could not be established with the conventional diagnostic technigues or operability of intraabdominal tumour were obscure. 6 patients with intraabdominal tumour, 2 patients with lymphoma, 3 patients with liver masses and 14 patients with acute and chronic abdominal pain underwent laparoscopy for the diagnosis, evaluation of operability and staging of the disease. The mean duration of the operation was 60 minutes and the conversion rate was 12%. One of the patients died in the postoperative period and no morbidity was noted. DL was accurate in 23 patients with therapeutic approach in 11 of them. Diagnostic laparoscopy is an alternative method for the evaluation of operability and staging of intraabdominal tumors and to establish the diagnosis of acute and chronic abdominal pain with unknown etiology.