LAPAROSCOPY AND THORACOSCOPY IN EVALUATION OF ABDOMINAL-TRAUMA

The role of laparoscopy and thoracoscopy as diagnostic modalities in b lunt and penetrating abdominal trauma was studied in 35 hemodynamicall y stable patients who otherwise would have undergone exploratory lapar otomy because of equivocal diagnostic findings. Minimally invasive lap aroscopic techniques (single 5 millimeter port) and minimal abdominal insufflation (8-10 millimeters mercury) were used with general anesthe sia. Both laparoscopy and thoracoscopy appear to be safe (no complicat ions), highly sensitive (100%), specific (88%), and accurate (91%) too ls for determining the presence of surgically significant abdominal pa thology and the need for therapeutic laparotomy. The appropriate appli cation of these techniques, possibly under local anesthesia, offers po tential cost savings.