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.