Delayed recognition of inadvertent gut injury during laparoscopy

Bowel injuries, which may occur as a result of the insertion of an insufflation needle or trocar, are a rare complication of laparoscopy. They are generally recognized either immediately or a few days after the operation. We present a case of laparoscopic perforation of the small intestine in a patient who had undergone previous pelvic surgery for an ovarian carcinoma. On ultrasound (US), the patient had multiple hepatic lesions resembling hepatic metastases. To confirm the diagnosis, laparoscopy with guided liver biopsy was performed on the grounds that this procedure is regarded as more appropriate than CT- or US-guided hepatic biopsy. Veress needle and trocar insertion were performed at a proper distance from the abdominal scar. However, the abdominal cavity was not visible after the trocar's insertion due to the unexpected presence of adhesions. This precluded the continuation of the procedure. In the following days, the patient experienced only mild abdominal discomfort. However, 2 weeks after laparoscopy, the patient presented signs of peritoneal reaction and underwent laparotomy. Adhesion-fixing jejunal loops to the anterior abdominal wall were discovered at the site of the trocar puncture. Moreover, two hiatuses of these loops were observed and sutured. The follow-up was uneventful. As this case illustrates, laparoscopic bowel injuries remain an unpredictable event. Recognition of this complication may occur several days after the procedure, as the tamponating effect of adhesions on the jejunal hiatus delays the involvement of the peritoneum.