Outcomes of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in a Tertiary Hospital in Nepal

Background Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) is the gold-standard surgery for symptomatic cholelithiasis with low mortality and morbidity. Objective The main objective of this study is to study the outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Dhulikhel Hospital over the period of seven years. Method The records of all the patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Dhulikhel Hospital from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2021 were reviewed. Patient demographics, indication of surgery, hospital stay, and number of conversions to open cholecystectomy were collected. The percentage, mean and median were calculated for socio-demographic information and Chi-square test was performed to measure the association between socio-demographic characteristics, duration of hospital stay, and operative procedure. Result Out of 2106 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2021, 584 (27.73%) were male, and 1522 (72.27%) were female. The female-to-male ratio was 2.6:1. The median age of the patients was 40 years (IQR=52-30). Most common indications for surgery were symptomatic cholelithiasis in 1740 (82.62%) patients along with chronic cholecystitis in 268 (12.73%) patients, and Post ERCP Cholecystectomy in 92 (4.37%) patients. Median hospital stay was three days. Out of 2106 cases, 24 cases were converted to open cholecystectomy. Conclusion Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard treatment for benign diseases of the gallbladder and can be performed safely as day care surgery to reduce the cost, length of hospital stay, and long waiting list in low and middle-income countries.