European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

LAPAROSCOPIC EVALUATION IN UNEXPLAINED ABDOMINAL PAIN

*Pramod Kumar Yadav

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Unexplained abdominal pain is a common presentation and its difficulty as well as delay in specific diagnosis is common issue for clinicians. Such patients can undergo a number of investigations with failure to reach any diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of laparoscopy in the diagnosis and management of patients with unexplained abdominal pain. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal from January 2016 to December 2018. A total of 76 patients of unexplained abdominal pain not diagnosed by routine clinical examination and investigations were included in the study. These patients were subjected to diagnostic laparoscopy for evaluation of their conditions and to confirm the diagnosis. Patients diagnosed with gynecological problems were consulted and managed with gynecologist. The findings and the outcomes of the laparoscopy were recorded and data was analyzed. Results: Unexplained abdominal pain was common in females than in males. The most common laparoscopic findings were appendicitis followed by abdominal tuberculosis. 90.41% patients achieved pain relief after laparoscopic intervention. Conclusion: Laparoscopy is safe and beneficial in majority of patients with unexplained abdominal pain. Training and experience in laparoscopic surgery is essential for General surgeons to provide maximum benefit to these difficult patients.

Keywords: Diagnostic laparoscopy, unexplained abdominal pain, abdominal tuberculosis, appendicitis.