ArticleSurgical endoscopy2026
Laparoscopy as the initial approach for hemodynamically stable abdominal stab wounds requiring exploration: a South African single-center experience.
Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe role of laparoscopy in penetrating abdominal trauma remains debated, and its adoption varies widely, largely due to concerns regarding missed injuries and the need for advanced laparoscopic expertise. We report our single-center experience using laparoscopy for hemodynamically stable patients with abdominal-region stab wounds with an indication for operative exploration (peritonitis, evisceration, or CT findings).
methodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of data from a single-center trauma unit over a 23-month period. Patients with abdominal-region stab wounds meeting operative criteria and managed with laparoscopic exploration were included.
resultsOf 170 patients with abdominal stab wounds, 10 (5.9%) were hemodynamically unstable and underwent immediate laparotomy. Of the remaining 160 stable patients, 19 (11.9%) were successfully managed non-operatively. Laparoscopic exploration was performed in 141 patients; 4/141 (2.8%) required conversion to laparotomy. The final laparoscopic cohort comprised 137 patients. The mean ISS was 10.1 (range 9-18). Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed in 14 patients (10.2%), and therapeutic laparoscopy in 123 (89.8%). Mean length of stay was one day (range 1-2) for diagnostic and 4.6 days (range 1-20) for therapeutic laparoscopy. There were no missed injuries. Complications (Clavien-Dindo III-V) occurred in 8.8% of patients, and 30-day mortality was 0.7%.
conclusionLaparoscopy is feasible for hemodynamically stable patients with abdominal-region stab wounds who require surgical exploration, with favorable outcomes in this series. Laparoscopy should be considered the initial operative approach in centers with appropriate expertise and resources. The range of therapeutic interventions and the threshold for conversion to laparotomy should be individualized based on the surgeon's experience, institutional capabilities, and equipment availability.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42839065What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.