Successful Laparoscopic Treatment of Chylous Ascites after Pelvic Lymphadenectomy: A Case Report and Peanut Oil Application

A 23-year-old female patient with refractory chylous ascites was successfully treated with laparoscopic ligation of the ruptured lymphatic vessel. The young patient developed abdominal distention after right-side pelvic lymph node dissection for dysgerminoma of the right ovary. Conservative managements failed to control the symptoms. Laparoscopic surgery was performed after oral administration of peanut oil, revealing the presence of a whitish fluid in the abdominal cavity. The responsible lesion of the chylous ascites was detected in the right obturator fossa and ligated with the HEM-O-LOK System (Kangji Medical Instrument Co., Ltd., Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China). The patient experienced an uneventful recovery and has been completely free of symptoms for 1 year. Laparoscopic surgery should be considered as a treatment of choice for intractable chylous ascites, and peanut oil could be used before surgery as an effective way to facilitate detection of the leakage during surgery.