Occult bladder injury during laparoscopy: report of two cases

Bladder injuries occur in approximately 1.6% of all laparoscopic procedures. Most often, these injuries are recognized intraoperatively or immediately postoperatively because of gross hematuria. We report two cases of bladder injury related to placement of suprapubic laparoscopic trocars that were not recognized at the time of surgery and in which no gross hematuria was evident. In each case, the patient had a history of abdominal surgery, and the diagnosis was difficult to make. The treatment was prolonged catheterization in one patient and laparotomy through a midline incision in the other. Strategies are discussed for minimizing the risk of bladder injury during laparoscopic trocar placement and for diagnosing and treating injuries.