Role of Laparoscopy in Chronic and Recurrent Abdominal Pain-Rural Area Experience

Chronic and recurrent abdominal pain is a common problem faced by the medical specialist. It leads to physical and psychological disability in a person. Despite radiological and clinical investigations when diagnosis cannot be ascertained then laparoscopy is one of the modalities that could be of benefit. We aim to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic value of laparoscopy in cases with chronic abdominal pain. Sixty-seven patients who attended the outpatient department of MGIMS, Sewagram with chronic and recurrent abdominal pain were included in this prospective study. All patients underwent preoperative workup and were subjected to laparoscopic evaluation. The commonest site of pain was the periumbilical region and nausea was the most common accompanying clinical feature. Adhesions were the most common laparoscopic findings (48.3 %) followed by appendiceal pathology (14.6 %). Abdominal Kochs which is predominant in developing countries was seen in 11.4 % of the cases. Laparoscopy is an effective diagnostic and therapeutic modality in the management of patients with chronic abdominal pain.