Background: Small-bowel obstruction poses both a diagnostic and a therapeut
ic challenge. The laparoscopic approach may assist in determining the cause
of the obstruction and in many cases to treat the obstructing lesion.
Methods: For the last 2 years, we have been approaching patients with small
-bowel obstruction laparoscopically.
Results: We have found this technique to be successful as the definitive tr
eatment in more than half of the cases.
Conclusion: The laparoscopic approach should be the modality of choice for
most, if not all, cases of small-bowel obstruction in which there is an ind
ication for exploration.