title: Rate of conversion and complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Problems during laparoscopic cholecystectomy include bile duct injury, conversion to open operation, and other postoperative complications. We retrospectively evaluated the causes for conversion and the rate of conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy and assessed the postoperative complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 340 patients who presented with symptomatic gall bladder disease over a 2-year period, 290 (85%) patients were evaluated on an elective basis and scheduled for surgery, while the remaining 50 (14.7%) patients were admitted emergently with a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 41.9 (12.6) years. Conversion to laparotomy occurred in 17 patients (5%). The incidence of complications was 3.2%. The most common complication was postoperative transient pyrexia, which was seen in four patients (1.2%) followed by postoperative wound infection in three patients (0.9%), postoperative fluid collection and bile duct injury in two patients each (0.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains the 'gold standard' by which all other treatment modalities are judged. Conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy should be based on the sound clinical judgment of the surgeon and not be due to a lack of individual expertise.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, 1 Elbahr Street, Elgomhoria, Mansoura, Egypt. wghnnam@gmail.com
authors.forename: Wagih
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ghnnam
authors.forename: Jawid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malek
authors.forename: Emad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shebl
authors.forename: Turky
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elbeshry
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D014463:Ultrasonography