OUTCOME OF LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY IN PATIENTS WITH GALLSTONE DISEASE AT A SECONDARY LEVEL CARE HOSPITAL.

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the most commonly performed operation of the digestive tract. )It is considered as the gold standard treatment for cholelithiasis.

AIM: To evaluate the outcome of it regarding length of hospital stay, complications, morbidity and mortality at a secondary hospital.

METHODS

Data of 492 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' demographics, co-morbid diseases, previous abdominal surgery, conversion to open cholecystectomy, operative time, intra and postoperative complications, and hospital stay were collected and analyzed from patients' files.

RESULTS

Out of 492 patients, 386 (78.5%) were females and 106 (21.5%) males. The mean age of the patients was 49.35±8.68 years. Mean operative time was 65.94±11.52 min. Twenty-four cases (4.9%) were converted to open surgery, four due to obscure anatomy (0.8%), 11 due to difficult dissection in Calot's triangle (2.2%) and nine by bleeding (1.8%). Twelve (2.4%) cases had biliary leakage, seven (1.4%) due to partial tear in common bile duct, the other five due to slipped cystic duct stables. Mean hospital stay was 2.6±1.5 days. Twenty-one (4.3%) developed wound infection. Port site hernia was detected in nine (1.8%) patients. There was no cases of bowel injury or spilled gallstones. There was no mortality recorded in this series.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and effective line for management of gallstone disease that can be performed with acceptable morbidity at a secondary hospital.