Laparoscopic repair of two unusual traumatic colorectal injuries

Although the role of laparoscopy in the repair of iatrogenic colonic perforations in prepared bowel is well established, the use of laparoscopy as a therapeutic tool in the management of patients with traumatic intraabdominal injuries remains unclear. We report two cases of traumatic colorectal injuries that were managed successfully by therapeutic laparoscopy. Both patients sustained traumatic perforations to the large bowel as a result of unusual accidents in the home. Laparoscopic repair of the perforations with interrupted sutures and peritoneal lavage were performed with good results in both cases. We believe that the laparoscopic repair of traumatic colonic injuries is feasible in selected patients and offers a number of accepted advantages over formal laparotomy.