Diagnostic laparoscopy in abdominal trauma patients

Abdominal trauma might be blunt or penetrating type. In some situations, radiological imaging methods might be insufficient for diagnosis, where diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) might be necessary. DL enables us to make a direct visualization of intra abdominal organs, to see any injury if present and decide if laparotomy is necessary or not. DL can be performed under either general or local anesthesia. Its advantages are minimal invasiveness, easiness-to-use, direct visualization of organs and primary laparoscopic repair chance if possible. Two-dimensional view and difficulty in visualizing of all surfaces of organs are among its disadvantages. Intra abdominal irrigation and analysis of the irrigation fluid also give indirect clues. At the end of DL, intra abdominal drain placement and follow up of drainage content can be done.