Early outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for small bowel injuries following blunt abdominal trauma at Military Hospital 103

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate early outcomes and explore factors associated with early outcomes after laparoscopic surgery for small bowel injuries following blunt abdominal trauma at Military Hospital 103. Subjects and methods: A descriptive case-series study using retrospective and prospective data was conducted in 40 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for small bowel injuries after blunt abdominal trauma at the Digestive Surgery Centre, Military Hospital 103, from January 2019 to July 2026. Results: The mean age was 48.87 ± 13.80 years, and 85.0% of patients were male. Road traffic accidents accounted for 75.0% of injuries. CT showed free intraperitoneal air in 80.0% and free fluid in 67.5% of patients. Jejunal injuries accounted for 87.5% of cases. Primary repair was performed in 75.0%, while bowel resection and anastomosis was performed in 25.0%. The median operative time was 90 minutes. Median time to first flatus was 3 days and median hospital stay was 9.5 days. Surgical site infection occurred in 10.0%, and one patient (2.5%) developed cardiac arrest with multiple organ failure. Early outcomes were classified as good in 87.5%, fair in 10.0%, and poor in 2.5%. Patients with unfavourable outcomes had longer intervals from injury to hospital admission and from injury to surgery, as well as greater intraperitoneal fluid volume, than those with good outcomes (p<0.05). Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery achieved favourable early outcomes in most appropriately selected patients with small bowel injuries following blunt abdominal trauma in this study.