Laparoscopically Assisted Surgery for Small Bowel Obstruction in Pregnancy: A Case Report

BACKGROUND: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) during pregnancy is very rare but is associated with significant maternal and fetal mortality. Few studies have reported laparoscopic surgery for SBO during pregnancy.
CASE REPORT: The current study describes a 41-year-old woman who presented with acute abdominal pain during the second trimester of pregnancy. The patient reported a past history of abdominal surgery. Conservative treatment for SBO was unsuccessful. Adhesiolysis was performed by laparoscopic surgery, and the obstruction was released. However, one week later, SBO recurred in the same patient. During the second laparoscopic surgery, the small bowels that had become lumped together were resected and jejuno-jejunostomy was performed. After surgery, the patient carried the baby to full term. After the delivery, there was no recurrence of SBO during 18 months of observation.
CONCLUSIONS: Careful consideration of surgical indications is necessary for SBO during pregnancy because of the high maternal and fetal mortality associated with SBO. Laparoscopic or laparoscopically assisted surgery for adhesional SBO in pregnancy can be a viable option for treatment.

Keywords: Intestinal Obstruction, Laparoscopy, Pregnancy, Abdominal