Laparoscopic management of median arcuate ligament syndrome: a video vignette.

Abstract

Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a rare condition and a diagnosis of exclusion. We present a 30-year-old man, who had postprandial upper abdominal pain and weight loss of 6 kg in 3 months. His gastroscopy and abdominal ultrasound results were both unremarkable. Computed tomographic angiography showed characteristic compression of the celiac artery by thickened median arcuate ligament causing a 'J' shaped course of artery with poststenotic dilatation and dilated branches of the celiac artery. The patient underwent laparoscopic release of the median arcuate ligament. The intraoperative blood loss was 20 mL and duration of the procedure was 140 minutes. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged on postoperative day 2. The symptoms subsided 2 months following surgery and he started gaining weight. Laparoscopic division of the median arcuate ligament is a minimally invasive, safe, and effective method to decompress the celiac artery.