Laparoscopic repair of perforated duodenal ulcer. A prospective multicenter clinical trial.

Background: A series of 100 consecutive patients with perforated peptic ulcer were prospectively evaluated in a multicenter study. The feasibility of the laparoscopic repair was evaluated.

Methods: All patients had peritonitis, 20% were in septic shock, and 57% had delayed perforation. Conversion to laparotomy was necessary in eight patients. The morbidity rate was 9% and mortality rate 5%.

Results: The mean delay of postoperative gastric aspiration (mean 3.4 days) and resumed food intake (mean 4.4 days) as well as the mean postoperative hospital stay (mean 9.3 days) were comparable to conventional surgery, but postoperative comfort was subjectively increased by laparoscopy and noticed by all laparoscopic surgeons participating in this study.

Conclusions: Laparoscopic repair of perforated peptic ulcer proves to be technically feasable and carries an acceptable morbidity and mortality rate, compared with conventional surgery.