Laparoscopic adhesiolysis for small bowel obstruction (SBO) offers short-term recovery advantages but shows no long-term superiority over open surgery.

• At five years, recurrence rates were similar: 9.7% for open vs. 12.5% for laparoscopic (p>.99).
• Incisional hernia rates were also comparable at 6.1% for open vs. 6.3% for laparoscopic (p>.99).
• Quality of life scores, based on SF-36 and GIQLI, did not significantly differ between approaches (p>.23 and p>.54, respectively).

Consider these findings when discussing surgical options with patients, as they indicate no long-term benefit with laparoscopic versus open approaches.