[Gallbladder surgery in a district hospital--a prospective registration].
BACKGROUND
Health authorities and patients are expected to be more active in inquiring about the outcome of surgery for each specific hospital. Prospective registration performed in a district hospital has to go on for years until the results can be evaluated. Specific data for gallbladder surgery performed in Norwegian district hospitals have not been reported before.


METHODS
All 220 cholecystectomies carried out from May 1993 to March 2001 were registered prospectively.


RESULTS
Two surgeons performed 93% of the operations with an average annual operator volume of 28. The operation rate was 8.5 per 10,000 inhabitants. The need for conversion was 9%. The peri and postoperative complication rate for laparoscopic and converted operations was 11%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our operation rate is somewhat higher than the average in Norway. The number of annual operations in a district hospital is somewhat low, but as almost all procedures are carried out by a limited number of surgeons, operator volume is compatible with data from larger hospitals in Norway. The need for conversion and the rate and seriousness of complications peri and postoperatively does not seem to be higher in this district hospital than in county and university hospitals in Norway.
Aspevik
Ranveig K
RK
Kirurgisk avdeling, Helgelandssykehuset Mo i Rana, 8607 Mo i Rana. ranveigaspevik@hotmail.com
Irtun
Øivind
Ø
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D016896:Treatment Outcome