Photodynamic therapy in diffuse peritonitis treatment

This work evaluates the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy in treating diffuse peritonitis. The treatment results of 130 patients with acute surgical pathology of abdominal cavity organs complicated by secondary diffuse peritonitis were analyzed by the authors. The authors evaluated postoperative lethality, morbidity, and the severity of postoperative complications, and analyzed the relaparotomies. Two groups of patients are analyzed. The main group (90 patients) received traditional debridement, while the control group (40 patients) received photodynamic therapy at the operation’s final stage. Postoperative lethality in the main group was statistically lower than in the control group (17.5% compared to 35.5%). Severe postoperative complications occurred in 3 patients in the main group (7.5%) and in 24 patients in the control group (26.6%). The analysis of relaparotomies revealed that the necessity to perform two or more relaparotomies in the main group amounted to 30% versus 53.3% in the control group. Photodynamic therapy included in the program of surgical treatment of patients with generalized secondary purulent peritonitis and sepsis has a significant antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, which is indicated by a statistically faster relief of peritonitis clinical manifestations. The use of photodynamic therapy allows to reduce the severity of postoperative complications and lethality, which permits recommending it for clinical use.