title: Clinical outcomes of single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the anglophone Caribbean: a multi centre audit of regional hospitals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been no report on Single-Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS) cholecystectomy outcomes since it was first performed in the Anglophone Caribbean in 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective audit evaluated the clinical outcomes of SILS cholecystectomies at regional hospitals in the 17 Anglophone Caribbean countries. Any cholecystectomy using a laparoscopic approach in which all instruments were passed through one access incision was considered a SILS cholecystectomy. The following data were collected: patient demographics, indications for operation, intraoperative details, surgeon details, surgical techniques, specialized equipment, conversions, morbidity and mortality. Descriptive statistics were generated using SPSS 12.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 85 SILS cholecystectomies in women at a mean age of 37.4 ± 8.5 years with a mean BMI of 30.9 ± 2.8. There were 59 elective and 26 emergent cases. Specialized access platforms were used in the first 35 cases and reusable instruments were passed directly across fascia in the latter 50 cases. The mean operative time was 62.9 ± 17.9 minutes. There was no mortality, 2 conversions to multi-trocar laparoscopy and 5 minor complications. Ambulatory procedures were performed in 43/71 (60.6%) patients scheduled for elective operations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the Caribbean setting, SILS cholecystectomy is a feasible and safe alternative to conventional multi-trocar laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad & Tobago;
authors.forename: Shamir O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Cawich
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA;
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad & Tobago;
authors.forename: Yardesh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad & Tobago;
authors.forename: Dilip
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Cayman Islands Hospital, Grand Cayman, UK;
authors.forename: Sanjib
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohanty
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados;
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walrond
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Princess Margaret Hosptial, Bahamas;
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Cayman Islands Hospital, Grand Cayman, UK;
authors.forename: Lindberg K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad & Tobago;
authors.forename: Kimon O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Bonadie
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, European School of Laparoscopic Surgery, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dapri
keywords: Caribbean; Cholecystectomy; Gallbladder; Laparoscopic; Single Incision