To study the aetiological factors and outcomes of urgent re-laparotomy

Background: Treatment of a number of complications that occur after abdominal surgeries may require Urgent Relaparotomy (UR), the life-saving and obligatory operations- performed. Aim: The objectives of this study was to evaluate the reasons for performing URs, their outcomes and factors that affected mortality. Methods: Observational, Prospective Study. The study included all the patients who underwent urgent re-laparotomy following laparotomy (emergency, elective) in Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India from 01.06.2016 to 31.12.2017. Results: UR was performed for 40 patients. The average time interval between the index laparotomy and urgent re-exploration was 6.4 days. The most common reason for mortality was multi organ failure with septic shock. The most common criteria for re-exploration were anastomotic leak (n=13), followed by pyoperitoneum (n=11) and persistent peritonitis (n=6). Comparing the index surgery, lower gastro-intestinal procedures were most usually involved (n=21, 47.7%), followed by hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeries (n=8, 18.2%). There were 6 cases of upper gastro-intestinal surgeries that were re- explored (13.6%). Conclusion: UR that is performed following complicated abdominal surgeries has high mortality rates. In particular, they have higher mortality rates following GIS surgeries or when infectious complications occur.