[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Apropos of 450 cases]

450 successive celioscopic cholecystectomies (May, 1990-April, 1992) are reported for 312 cases of uncomplicated gallstone (69%) operated electively and 138 cases operated in emergency, including 120 cases of acute cholecystitis, 17 cases of biliary pancreatitis and 1 case of angiocholitis. Immediate conversion into laparotomy was required in 10 cases (2.2%) either for technical reasons (1.1%) or because of lithiasis of the common bile duct (1.1%). The stay in hospital lasted an average of 2.2% days for elective admission and 3.3 days for emergent admission. The average operating time was 65 minutes (75 minutes until May, 1991, and 55 minutes between May, 1991 and April, 1992). Preoperative retrograde cholangiography was performed in 67 cases and intraoperative cholangiography in 16 cases. Second surgery was required for suture in one case because of cholerrhagia in a secondary duct of the gallbladder bed. This cholerrhagia would not have been amenable to simple aspiration. One patient (0.2%) died of myocardial infarction at D + 10. Complications include 4 cases of pulmonary embolism, 3 cases of cystic biliary fistula without second surgery and 4 cases of umbilical hernia. A more peculiar case is that of a patient admitted 5 months after surgery for gangrenous acute cholecystitis. This patient was admitted for fever and epigrastric pain. He had a very low-flow duodenocutaneous fistula of uncertain origin. This patient was not operated again. This may not be a complication connected to celioscopic surgery. Celioscopic cholecystectomy is superseding conventional cholecystectomy. Surgeons' efforts should strive at eliminating operative errors, reducing postoperative morbidity, improving techniques and instruments, teaching celioscopic surgery and extending its indications to other intraabdominal operations.