LAPAROSCOPY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF ACUTE LOWER ABDOMINAL PAIN

Abstract

Laparoscopy was performed on 27 hospital inpatients presenting with acute lower abdominal pain. Nineteen of the 27 were admitted with a provisional diagnosis of appendicitis. Following laparoscopy, 9 patients underwent appendicectomy and a further 3 underwent laparotomy. Fifteen patients had a laparoscopy as the sole procedure and all were discharged from hospital without need for further surgery. Of those patients in the operative group, 5 had their proposed incisions modified as the result of the laparoscopic findings. The only complication attributable to laparoscopy was 1 small wound hematoma.