[Cholecystectomy by mini-approach in the treatment of cholelithiasis]

Along with wide-spread laparoscopic cholecystectomy, cholelithiasis can be treated with another sparing technique--miniaccess cholecystectomy (MACE). Case histories and long-term treatment outcomes were analysed for 168 patients aged 23-77 years subjected to MACE with elements of open laparoscopy for chronic calculous cholecystitis. Surgery was made using a special surgical kit "Mini-assistant" by the team of two surgeons and an instrument nurse. After MACE the patients resume their jobs after a shorter period of inability, suffer from side effects of surgery in rare cases, have higher quality of life than patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.