Laparoscopic treatment for intussusception of the small intestine in the adult.

The term intussusception refers to a spontaneous invagination of a portion of the intestine into another bowel loop. Its incidence is higher in children, but in adults it causes 1% to 5% of intestinal obstructions. The diagnosis of intussusception in the adult is difficult due to the variability of the symptoms. The condition may be chronic, intermittent, or acute. Surgical intervention is necessary in all cases and in up to 90% of cases an organic lesion inside the invaginated part of the bowel is found to be the lead point. The laparoscopic approach offers both a diagnostic and therapeutic option. Laparoscopy may be used as the final diagnostic or therapeutic tool for intussusception in the adult.

Laparoscopic surgery in situs inversus: a literature review and a report of laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for diverticulitis in situs inversus.

BACKGROUND: Situs inversus (SI) is a rare autosomal recessive congenital defect in which the position of abdominal and/or thoracic organs is a "mirror image" of the normal one, in the sagittal plain. In 25% of these cases, SI is part of the Kartagener syndrome, together with bronchiectasis and chronic sinusitis. METHODS: We present a case of a patient with Kartagener syndrome and complete SI that was laparoscopically operated on for diverticulitis. We also review the published English information available on this rare condition. RESULTS: A review of the literature revealed another single case of laparoscopic sigmoidectomy and 27 cases of other laparoscopic interventions in the presence of SI. Those laparoscopic procedures included basic procedures such as explorations and cholecystectomies, as well as advanced procedures such as gastrectomy and gastric bypass. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic approach is feasible in cases of SI, although technically more complicated because of the different position of the organs and the different laparoscopic view of the anatomy.