Major complications of laparoscopy

Objective: To determine the rate of major complications of laparoscopy in our teaching hospital. Methods: The hospital records of women who had laparoscopy at the Department of Gynecology, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from January 1 1990 to March 30 1997 were reviewed. Results: Nine hundred and ninety five consecutive diagnostic and operative laparoscopies were performed in our Department during the study period. Eight hundred and eighty nine (89.3%) were diagnostic and 106 (10.7%) were operative. There were no deaths or major vascular or ureteral injuries. The overall major complication rate was 5/1000. One bladder perforation and 2 small bowel injuries occurred in the diagnostic laparoscopy group (3.4/1000). Two colon injuries occurred in the operative laparoscopy group (18.9/1000). Conclusion: The rate of our major complications after diagnostic and operative laparoscopy is similar to the existing rates in the literature from population-based studies.