[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Spain: multicentric study of 2,432 patients]

To evaluate the efficiency of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the treatment of gallstones.

Retrospective/prospective multicentric study undertaken by the Department of Surgical Endoscopy of the Spanish Association of Surgeons. Data were introduced into a computerized protocol. Statistical analysis with SPSS 4.0 applying the Student's T test and Pearson's chi square.

69 surgeons from 40 Hospitals who have performed laparoscopic cholecystectomies in 2432 patients, diagnosed of gallstones, with an average age of 49 years (9-91) and 80% in women.

The operation was completed in 94% of the cases and lasted on an average of 75 minutes (20-120). Surgical findings were 2380 non complicated gallstones, 185 acute cholecystitis (7.6%) and 265 scleroatrophic gallbladders (11%). Intraoperative cholangiography was performed in 9% and gallstones in the common bile duct were diagnosed in 2%, of which 0.3% were treated by laparoscopy and 1% by post-operative endoscopic sphinterotomy Five per cent were converted to laparotomy, of which 29% (1.5% of total patients) were obligatory conversions. Among postoperative complications there were 0.4% lesions due to abdominal puncture, 0.4% lesions of the common bile duct and 2.5% hemorrhages. Post-operative complications were seen in 7.5% of patients. The most frequent complications affected the surgical wounds (3%), whereas bile duct complications represented 0.6% and were most frequent in the series of less than 50 patients. Mortality was 0.12%. Average post-operative hospital stay was 2.5 days (0.5-5).

In Spain, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is an effective and safe procedure with results which are comparable to other multicentric studies published in other countries, with a morbidity-morbility index similar to open cholecystectomy and the great added advantage is the avoidance of laparotomy and its inconveniences (pain, longer hospital stay...) and complications.