[Laparoscopic staged lavage in CAPD catheter peritonitis--an alternative to open treatment?].

Three patients suffering from severe CAPD peritonitis underwent laparoscopically programmed lavage after removal of the catheter. After an average of four laparoscopic lavage operations all patients had to be treated using conventional open procedures; a mean of ten programmed lavage procedures were carried out because of increasing peritoneal inflammation and worsening of the clinical situation during minimal invasive therapy. One patient did not survive. Laparoscopic treatment is thus not recommended for diffuse peritonitis.