Preliminary experience with laparoscopic surgery in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

This study presents a pioneer experience with laparoscopic operations in a General Surgical unit of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Consecutive patients who had laparoscopic operations from April through December 2008 were prospectively studied. Following clinical diagnosis, initial diagnostic laparoscopy was undertaken in all patients, followed by therapeutic open or laparoscopic procedures. All procedures were done under general anaesthesia. Duration of operation and outcome including complications were recorded. In all, there were 12 patients (8 males, 4 females), aged 15 to 50 years. Eight patients had clinical diagnoses of acute appendicitis, one each had undetermined right lower abdominal pain suspected ectopic gestation, adhesive intestinal obstruction and metastatic liver disease. The first 4 patients with inflammed appendix confirmed at laparoscopy had open appendicectomy. Of the next cohort of 5 patients, laparoscopic appendicectomy was completed in four but converted to open procedure in one. Normal findings were noted in the lady with suspected ectopic gestation. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis was done for adhesive intestinal obstruction while a laparoscopic liver biopsy was done for the patient with metastatic liver disease. Operative time ranged from 55-105 minutes with marked reduction in operation time as confidence and experience grew. No intraoperative complication was observed but one patient had superficial port site infection postoperatively. We conclude that with good patient selection and some improvisation, laparoscopic general surgical operations are feasible with acceptable outcome even in a poor resource setting.