Laparoscopic Repair of Iatrogenic Colonic Perforation

Perforation of the colon during colonoscopy can occur for a variety of reasons. When it is caused directly by the endoscope itself, operative intervention is virtually unavoidable. Current practice is laparotomy and repair or resection. Simple oversewing of the defect in a well-prepared colon is safe and effective if the diagnosis is made early. This can be carried out by the laparoscopic route; however, there are few cases of this being performed. We describe our technique for laparoscopic repair here, reviewing the literature on perforation and its management. With advanced laparoscopic techniques such as intracorporeal suturing becoming more widely practiced, a mind shift toward considering laparoscopy for treatment of these patients should be made. Laparoscopy does not exclude the conversion to laparotomy if required.