[Complications of cholecystectomy by laparoscopy. How can they be avoided?]

Cholecystectomy was the first digestive tract operation to be performed laparoscopically. By far the most frequent laparoscopic operation in France (80,000/year) for many surgeons, at least during the first few years after its introduction, it was a training operation which generate a higher rate of complications than conventional surgery, at least. Today laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the accepted reference technique for simple or complicated gall stone disease as the incidence of complications is now as low as, or lower than open surgery. Excepting puncture accidents (trocars) and pneumoperitonium, the most frequent complications are by far related to the biliary tract: wounds, stenosis, section. Most of these complications are avoidable with a simple rigorous technique. Other complications (haemorrhage, infection) were also analyzed to determine the circumstances and means to prevent them.