Combined laparoscopic and endoscopic treatment of perforated gastroduodenal ulcer using the ligamentum teres hepatis (LTH)

Abstract

We propose a novel technique for laparoscopic treatment of perforated gastroduodenal ulcers. The principle of this procedure involves the closure of the perforated ulcer using the ligamentum teres hepatis (LTH). The LTH is cut near its umbilical end and then dissected up to the site of its hepatic insertion. The umbilical extremity of LTH is grasped with a Dormia noose passed through the ulcerated perforation via a gastroscope. Using the noose, the LTH is pulled through the ulcerated perforation until its volume fits and completely closes the perforation. This laparoscopic technique was performed in 15 patients (12 M, 3 F) with anterior perforated duodenal ulcer revealed within the previous 6 h. The procedure could not be performed in three cases: diameter of the perforation exceeding 1.5 cm (n=1), general purulent peritonitis (n=2). In the other 12 cases, closure of the ulcerated perforation with the LTH was realized without technical difficulty. The postoperative course was uncomplicated. The posttreatment comfort was excellent; the mean period of hospitalization was 10 days (range, 8–14 days). An endoscopic examination carried out following 5 weeks of anti-H2 treatment showed that cicatrization of the ulcer was good and that no pyloric stenosis remained. These initial results suggest that laparoscopic treatment of perforated gastroduodenal ulcer using the LTH is a simple procedure which can be performed with general assurance of success in patients whose perforated ulcers have occurred quite recently. As the laparoscopic procedure is less aggressive than a laparotomy, it enhances the postoperative comfort of patients and prevents the risk of parietal complications. Compared to laparoscopic endosuture this procedure is simple, effective, easier, and particularly adapted to large ulcerated perforation or when an ulcer's edges are tough or friable, tending to tear when knots are tied.