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Updated: May 17, 2026
Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration in Patients with a Previous History of Biliary Tract Surgery
Published on: February 10, 2023
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with a previous history of gastrectomy
Hideo Yamamoto1, Naokazu Hayakawa, Tatuyoshi Yamamoto
1Department of Surgery, Tohkai Hospital, Nagoya, Japan. hide@qj8.so-net.ne.jp
Background/Aims:
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in patients with a previous history of upper abdominal surgery is a difficult procedure with a high conversion rate.
Methodology:
Forty-two patients with a previous history of gastrectomy (gastrectomy group) were compared to patients without previous abdominal surgery (no surgery group, n=1375). Patients in the gastrectomy group were divided into two groups for comparison: first, an umbilicus-group (n=12, at the umbilicus) and a side-group (n=23, right of the umbilicus) by the location of the primary port insertion, second, a benign group (n=31) and a malignant group (n=11).
Results:
Patients in the gastrectomy group had similar operative morbidity but a significantly higher conversion rate and a longer postoperative hospital stay than patients in the no-surgery group. Conversion was performed in four patients in the gastrectomy group (9.5%): 3 in the umbilicus-group and one in a side-group. Two patients in the umbilicus-group had adhesion only just around the primary port site. Patients in the malignant group had similar postoperative hospital stay and morbidity but a significantly longer operating time than patients in the benign group.
Conclusions:
Previous gastrectomy for benign or malignant diseases is no longer considered a relative contraindication for performance of safe LC.
