[Treatment of perforated peptic ulcer using the round ligament under celioscopy]

We propose an original technique of treatment of perforated peptic ulcer with celioscopic monitoring which has principles and indications similar to those of simple surgical suture via laparotomy. The procedure consists in obliterating the ulcerous perforation with the round ligament (RL) that has previously been predicled from its insertion on the liver, under celioscopy. The umbilical end of the RL is then caught with a Dormia probe inserted through the perforation with a fibrogastroscope. By pulling the probe, the RL is then inserted into the perforation and obturates it. Peritoneal washing and transcutaneous infrahepatic drainage complete the procedure. This was proposed to 9 patients (8 M, 1 F) with a mean age of 41 years (24-59) having ulcers perforated for less than 6 hours. The obliteration of the perforation using the RL was performed easily in 7 cases. In 3 cases, the procedure could not be carried out, either because the diameter of the perforation exceeded 1.5 cm (n = 2) or because of purulent peritonitis (n = 1). No postoperative complications occurred. The endoscopic control showed healed ulcers in all cases after 5 weeks of treatment with anti-H2 drugs. These still preliminary results suggest that the celioendoscopic treatment of perforated peptic ulcers might be proposed whenever vagotomy does not seem to be absolutely necessary, especially in cases of acute ulcer occurring in younger subjects. In comparison with laparotomy, this procedure prevents parietal sequellae and improves the postoperative comfort. This procedure might also be proposed as an alternative to Taylor's procedure, thus avoiding the diagnostic errors and delays in surgery that are inherent in this therapeutic method.