title: Is emergent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis safe in a low volume resource poor setting?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The outcomes of emergent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for acute cholecystitis have not been documented in the low-volume, resource-poor Caribbean setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out in a low-resource setting across three islands in the Anglophone Caribbean.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of all consecutive patients who had emergency LC for acute cholecystitis over 82 months were examined. The data were extracted and analysed using SPSS version 14.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 74 patients with acute cholecystitis at a mean age of 45 (SD 11.8) years. The mean duration of operation was 99 (SD 45) min. There were 3 (4.1%) conversions and 6 (8.1%) complications. No bile duct injuries or deaths were recorded. There was more morbidity in patients with complicated disease, longer mean operation times and longer mean intervals between admission and operation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emergent LC for acute cholecystitis is effective and safe in a low-volume setting in the Caribbean. However, the operations are technically demanding and should be performed by trained laparoscopic surgeons.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago. Electronic address: socawich@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Shamir O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Cawich
authors.affiliation: The Department of Surgery, Cayman Islands Hospital, Grand Cayman, British West Indies, Cayman Islands.
authors.forename: Sanjib K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mohanty
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kingston Public Hospital, Kingston, WI, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Lindberg K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, McGill University Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Kimon O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Bonadie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017691:Caribbean Region; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D041881:Cholecystitis, Acute / Q000601:surgery*; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Caribbean; Cholecystectomy; Gallbladder; Laparoscopic; Low-volume