Intestinal injury secondary to an umbilical piercing.

Background: Body piercing has become increasingly popular throughout the world and may cause unanticipated complications during surgery.

Methods: We describe the case of a 35-y-old woman with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy for metastatic disease evaluation.

Results: An early intestinal injury occurred upon abdominal entry and introduction of pneumoperitoneum. The injury was secondary to a single adhesion between the abdominal wall and small bowel caused by a previous umbilical piercing.

Conclusions: Umbilical piercing can lead to unanticipated intraoperative complications even if it is removed prior to surgery. Surgeons performing laparoscopy should be aware of potential pitfalls associated with these art forms.