Abstract
Introduction: Chronic abdominal pain is frequently seen in the general surgery department. The complaint may be abdominal pain on and off for a few weeks to a few months. Good history and clinical examination are very important in patients with chronic abdominal pain. Laparoscopic surgery allows the peritoneal cavity to be visualized without large surgical incisions. This allows surgeons to arrive at a diagnosis fairly quickly and thus allows prompt intervention. Aim: This study aimed to determine the role of laparoscopy as a tool for diagnosing and treating patients presenting to the surgical department with a complaint of chronic abdominal pain. Methods: This study was conducted at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India. The study was done from March 2016 to February 2020 for four years. Complete blood count, x-ray chest and abdomen, USG and CECT abdomen were done. After these investigations, the patients underwent diagnostic laparoscopy. 105 patients were studied. SPSS package 20.0 was used for statistical analysis, and ethical clearance was obtained. Results: Our study found that chronic abdominal pain most commonly was found in patients between 41 to 50 years of age (33.33%), and women (70.47%) were more commonly affected than men. Other than the complaint of chronic abdominal pain (100%), vomiting (33.33%) was the next most common complaint in our patients. 57 patients (54.28%) complained of abdominal pain along with other associated symptoms on and off for 3-6 months, which was the most common duration of symptoms for the patients in our study. The most common intraoperative finding in our patients was the presence of appendicitis (42.85%). The most common operative procedure performed for patients in our study was laparoscopic appendicectomy which was done for 45 patients (42.85%). This was followed by laparoscopic adhesiolysis, which was done for 30 patients (28.57%).

Key words: Laparoscopic surgery, Chronic abdominal pain, Peritoneal cavity, Intervention