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Outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Four years of experience
A Serralta1, R García-Espinosa, P Martínez-Casañ
1Instituto de Cirugía General y del Aparato Digestivo (ICAD), Clínica Quirón, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 14, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
Objective:
To evaluate the feasibility of an ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy program.
Design:
Prospective analysis of ambulatory cases, overnight stay percentage, unexpected admission rate, postoperative complications and readmissions.
Patients:
271 consecutive patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Results:
Ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy was completed in 193 out of 271 patients, reaching a 71.2 percent for the whole series. Ambulatory patients increased along with the experience of the team from a 22.9 percent in 1997 to 91.4 per cent in 2000. Sixty four patients (23.6%) had to be hospitalized overnight. Finally 14 patients had to be admitted (5.2%). The percentage of postoperative complications was 7.7%.
Conclusions:
Ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a feasible and safe procedure with no increase in morbidity that can be performed in up to 90 per cent of patients.