Incidental Findings in Abdominal Surgery

The Incidence of Incidental Findings in All Abdominal Surgeries

Despite the recent advancement in diagnostic modalities, many surgeons experience till this day unexpected findings during the course of surgery. Very few information is available in the medical literature in order to assist the surgeon with the anticipation and preparation to deal with Incidental Findings (IFs). Such valuable information can be of great benefit to the surgeon, as the surgical team can prepare himself better -technically and scientifically- to deal with the common expected IFs. The authors aim to examine the incidence of all IFs in abdominal surgery -laparoscopy or laparotomy- and identify possible associations through a cross-sectional designed study conducted in Aleppo University Hospital - Department of Surgery. The authors collected patients' data who underwent abdominal surgery during the period of the two-consecutive years 2018-2019.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients older than 13 y/o
• patients undergoing laparoscopy or laparotomy that must include a proper inspection of the abdominal cavity

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients aged 13 y/o or less
• patients with incomplete data
• gynecological procedures even if it involves laparotomy or laparoscopy.