Laparoscopy versus laparotomy in management of abdominal trauma.

Background: A majority of abdominal injuries (AIs) are associated with shock, hence most of the patients are hemodynamically unstable, which limits the use of video-assisted laparoscopy (VAL) in their management. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the possibility of using VAL in management of stable and unstable patients with abdominal trauma.

Methods: In a period of six years 2,695 patients with AIs were evaluated.