Who should perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy? A 10-year audit

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most common operations in general surgery. It is performed by surgeons with a specialist interest in biliary disease as well as by surgeons with other specialist interests.

This retrospective audit of all cholecystectomies was conducted in a single hospital over a 10-year period from 1996 to 2005. Data were extracted from two independent electronic databases and supplemented by a full note review of cases with extended postoperative stay or unplanned readmission. The outcomes for cases under the care of specialist upper gastrointestinal (GI) consultants were compared with outcomes for cases of general surgery consultants from other firms.

Data from 4,139 cholecystectomies were obtained. More cholecystectomies performed by upper GI firms were completed laparoscopically (96.2% vs 80.1%) with a higher rate of intraoperative cholangiograms (83.4% vs 16.9%). The mean operating time was shorter for upper GI cases (69 vs 84 min), as was the postoperative hospital stay (2 vs 3.6 days). There also was a significantly lower incidence of bile duct injury in upper GI cases (0.1% vs 0.9%).

In their institution, the authors found evidence of improved outcomes when laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed under the care of surgeons with a specialist interest in upper GI or hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery.