Laparoscopy for perforated duodenal ulcer: A morbidity score based on a cohort study of 384 patients.

BACKGROUND: The Laparoscopic treatment of perforated ulcer is accompanied by a lesser morbidity and mortality compared with treatment by laparotomy. However, the morbidity of the laparoscopic approach is not nil (4%). It is influenced by pre and intraoperative factors. The aim of our work is to establish a morbidity score in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for acute peritonitis with perforated duodenal ulcer. METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted in a General Surgery Department. We included 384 cases of perforated duodenal ulcer operated laparoscopically over a fourteen-year period ranging from January 2000 to December 2014. We conducted a multivariate logistical regression analysis by step-by-step-descending method. From these independent factors we established a score using the ROC curves. The threshold with the best sensitivity and specificity for predicting morbidity was investigated. In all statistical tests, the significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The overall morbidity rate of our patients was 3.38% (13 patients). Multivariate analysis has identified five independent morbidity risk factors: temperature higher than 37.6° C, renal failure, age> 45 years, a number of stitches of two or higher and operating time to 75 minutes or longer. Our morbidity score took into account these 5 factors by integrating the intrinsic value of each factor. The threshold of the score having the best torque sensitivity specificity to predict morbidity was 10. CONCLUSION: A morbidity score for perforated duodenal ulcer surgery performed by laparoscopy may be useful to organize the post-operativecare of these patients usually young and active. A lower score than the threshold predictive of morbidity could allow a rapid rehabilitation of these patients and a one day hospitalization management.