[Laparoscopic suture or open suture in perforated duodenal ulcer]

Between Nov. 1994-Jan. 2001 we performed laparoscopic suture with omentoplasty of perforated duodenal ulcer (PDU) in 51 patients out of 56 it was intended (this constituted the laparoscopic group--LG). The selection criteria were young patients, age < 40 years, no associated diseases, onset of the operation under 12 hours from the occurrence of the perforation, absence of clear ulcer history. In the same period, we performed an open suture based on the same criteria in 105 patients (open group--OP). The results showed a difference between needed analgesia (2.8 days for LG vs. 5.2 days for OG) and a hospital stay of 6.1 days in LG vs. 7.7 days in OG. The incidence of postoperative complications was 5.88% in the LG and 7.61% in the OG with 1.96% and respective 1.90% reoperation rate. In conclusion laparoscopic suture of PDU with associated postoperative modern therapy of ulcer disease could be the treatment of choice in young patients.