Second look in abdominal surgery

: The paper presents authors experience and indications for an elective relaparotomy performed as the second-look laparotomy after primary operation. 12 patients with vascular or surgical diseases were operated on for: abdominal neoplastic tumors (2 patients), elective abdominal aneurysm (2 patients), ruptured abdominal aneurysm (2), abdominal aneurysm ruptured into the inferior caval vein (1), ruptured aneurysm of the iliac artery (1), abdominal aortic coarctation with visceral arteries abnormality (1), thrombosis of the superior mesenteric artery (1) and peritonitis because of intestinal ischaemia and necrosis (2 patients). In all cases an elective relaparotomy was done on the 1st or 2nd postoperative day. 5 patients died, in 4 cases complications found during second look relaparotomy required surgical treatment (2 of this patients died, two other were successfully treated). The authors discuss indications and advantages of elective second-look laparotomy in abdominal surgery according to the anticipated risk factors and patients condition.