Gastrointestinal Complications of Laparoscopic/Robot-Assisted Urologic Surgery and a Review of the Literature

Gastrointestinal injuries that occur during or after laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery are serious side effects that affect patient outcome. In this review, we attempt to highlight the identification, incidence and management of gastrointestinal and visceral complications of laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery. A search of Medline and PubMed databases was performed using the following terms: gastrointestinal complications of laparoscopy, laparoscopic, kidney and robotic surgery. A total of 1,072 papers related to the subject were analyzed. Forty-six of these papers were included in the present review. These papers reported high numbers of participants and had a high level of evidence. Gastrointestinal complications during laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery are rare, but similar, and can occur at any time between access and closure. Despite their infrequency, these complications can result in mortality. The early recognition and management of gastrointestinal complications is very important. Unrecognized or delayed identification of gastrointestinal complications may cause sepsis and death.