[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a prospective study of 1,775 unselected patients]

1775 patients with symptomatic cholecystolithiasis were treated by laparoscopic cholecystectomy without selection or contraindications. Complications should be compared with those of conventional cholecystectomy. 73.5% of our patients were female, the median age was 62 years (min. 9, max. 91 years). They presented uncomplicated cholecystolithiasis in 85%, acute cholecystitis in 11% and cirrhotic gallbladder in 4.5%. The rate of conversion to laparotomy was 2.9% for uncomplicated cholecystolithiasis and 11% for each cholecystitis and cirrhotic gallbladders. In general 4.4% were converted. These conversions were due to complications in 0.9% (bile duct lesions 0.7%, bowel perforation 0.2%), due to adhesions or inflammatory alterations in 3%. Perioperative letality was 0.3%, but only 0.15% were related directly to the operation. Other complications were bile duct strictures 0.3%, postoperative hemorrhage 0.3%, ileus 0.2%, perforation of diaphragm/pneumothorax 0.1%. Suspected bile duct stones were proved and treated by preoperative ERCP in 5.6%. Routinely performed intraoperative cholangiography detected unsuspected stones in 4%. These were removed mostly by postoperative ERCP. We consider laparoscopic cholecystectomy a safe method for the treatment of every stage of symptomatic cholecystolithiasis. There are no contraindications, if the operation is performed by an experienced team. Intraoperative cholangiography should remain standard. Complications in unselected patients are comparable to those of conventional cholecystectomy. The rate of bile duct lesions is equal (0.7%), a further decrease is expected (learning curve). According to this data, it is no longer justified, to perform cholecystectomy primarily by laparotomy, if there is experience with the laparoscopic method. Laparotomy by itself is no complication, it should be applied only, if the surgeon considers the operation inadequate to be continued laparoscopically.