PILOT EXPERIENCE WITH Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Jos, Nigeria - CHALLENGES and prospects.

BACKGROUND

While laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard in developed countries for the removal of the diseased gallbladder, the procedure is just gaining popularity in Nigeria. This was a documentation of the authour's initial experience with laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a private hospital setting.

AIMS &

OBJECTIVES

To highlight the challenges of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our environment and recommend solutions.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This was a prospective analysis of 35 consecutive patients presenting for laparoscopic cholecystectomy at a private hospital with special interest in endoscopy located in Jos, North Central Nigeria from June 2008 to May 2011. A Standard four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed in all the patients. The demographics, clinical features and management outcome were entered in a proforma and analyzed with Epi-info.

RESULTS

A total of 35 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed during the study period. There were 5(14%) males and 30(86%) females giving a male: female ratio of 1:6. The mean age of the study population was 40.1± 11.4years and the mean operating time was 90 minutes with a range of 45-125 minutes. All the patients had chronic calculous cholecystitis and one (2.9%) of them also had empyema of the gall bladder. There were 2 conversions to open cholecystectomy in this study giving a conversion rate of 9.1%.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and acceptable way of performing cholecystectomy in our environment even in a private hospital with careful patient selection, attention to details and performed by experienced surgeons.