title: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
abstract: A consecutive series of 220 laparoscopic cholecystectomies (June 1990 to May 1991) is presented. These were the author's initial experience of the technique. Procedures were elective (205) and acute (15), including 3 gangrenous cholecystitis and 4 empyema. There were 166 females and 34 males, 12-75 years, weighing 44-115 kg. Forty-eight patients had prior abdominal surgery. Two hundred and eleven patients had successful laparoscopic cholecystectomies, 6 open cholecystectomies and 3 mini-laparotomies to remove split stones. None of the last 120 cases were opened. Operating time ranged from 20 min to 3 h 20 min. There were 4 serious complications: 2 bile leaks from the gall-bladder bed and 2 jejunal injuries (Veres needle and 5 mm trocar). Sixty-one patients were discharged the next day, 29 on day 2, 5 on day 3, 4 on day 4, 1 on day 5, 1 on day 22 and 1 on day 27. At two weeks follow-up all but 2 patients had fully recovered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Fielding
mesh_terms: D002758:Cholangiography; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000601:surgery; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D020706:Laparoscopes; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors