Abdominal drain causing early small bowel obstruction after laparoscopic colectomy

Abstract

We report a rare drain-related complication leading to small bowel obstruction after laparoscopic colectomy. An 82-year-old man developed small bowel obstruction on the second day after laparoscopic anterior resection. Emergency relaparoscopy found herniation of the small bowel mesentery into the side holes of the silicon intraabdominal drain, which led to a 90-degree acute turn of the small bowel and mechanical obstruction. The herniation was reduced, and the drain was removed laparoscopically.

Figure 1.

Abdominal x-ray showing small bowel obstruction.

Figure 2.

Computed tomographic sacn of abdomen showing level of small bowel obstruction at the level of the abdominal drain.

Figure 3.

Mechanism of obstruction. D=drain, M=mesentery, DSB=dilated small bowel, CSB=collapsed small bowel.