title: Complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a national survey of 4,292 hospitals and an analysis of 77,604 cases.
abstract: Complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy were evaluated by a survey of surgical department chairpersons at 4,292 US hospitals. The 77,604 cases were reported by 1,750 respondents. Laparotomy was required for treatment of a complication in 1.2% of patients. The mean rate of bile duct injury (exclusive of cystic duct) was 0.6% and was significantly lower at institutions that had performed more than 100 cases. Bile duct injuries were recognized postoperatively in half of the cases and most frequently required anastomotic repair. Intraoperative cholangiography was practiced selectively by 52% of the respondents and routinely by 31%. Bowel and vascular injuries, which occurred in 0.14% and 0.25% of cases, respectively, were the most lethal complications. Postoperative bile leak was recognized in 0.3% of patients, most commonly originating from the cystic duct. Eighteen of 33 postoperative deaths resulted from operative injury. These data demonstrate that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with low rates of morbidity and mortality but a significant rate of bile duct injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Deziel
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Millikan
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Economou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doolas
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Airan
mesh_terms: D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000293:injuries; D002758:Cholangiography; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007813:Laparotomy; D009017:Morbidity; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology