[Experiences with 2,200 laparoscopic cholecystectomies as the treatment concept in gallstone disease]

The laparoscopic cholecystectomy is fully integrated into the therapy concept of gallstone disease. The laparoscopic procedure was successfully performed in 97.5% of 2200 patients. In 2.5% of the patients the operation had to be converted to open surgery. Complications occurred in 3.6%, containing infections of the umbilicus (2.2%), postoperative bleedings (0.4%) and lesions of the d.hepatocholedochus (0.4%). Mortality rate was 0.1%. During the last 2 years the indication for the laparoscopic approach has been rapidly expanded while the indication for primary open surgery was reduced to 2% of the patients. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy proved to be a rapid and safe procedure for treating gallbladder stones.