Laparoscopy in penetrating abdominal trauma is a safe and effective alternative to laparotomy

Introduction Diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) is an increasingly used modality when approaching penetrating abdominal trauma (PAT). Trauma surgeons can utilize this minimally invasive technique to quickly assess for injury in hemodynamically stable patients. DL with a confirmed injury can be repaired through therapeutic laparoscopy (TL) or conversion to exploratory laparotomy (EL). This study analyzes the use of laparoscopy as a first-line therapy for hemodynamically stable patients with PAT.