The Role of Mechanical Bowel Preparation in Gynecologic Laparoscopy

Abstract

Various combinations of dietary restriction, antibiotic regimens and mechanical preparations have become routine in preoperativesurgical planning for elective colon surgery. This practice has also become commonplace in the field of gynecology, either for plannedbowel surgery or in complex cases that are believed to be high risk for inadvertent bowel injury. As the trend in gynecologic surgeryshifts toward more minimally invasive approaches, the complexity of cases being performed by laparoscopy and robotics continues toincrease. In addition, laparoscopic surgical techniques have a different set of inherent risks and challenges as compared with openpelvic operations. This review summarizes the available data surrounding the use of mechanical bowel preparations, specifically withregard to gynecologic laparoscopy.