INITIAL RESULTS OF A PROSPECTIVE TRIAL OF OUTPATIENT LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY

Background: Whether or not laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be perform ed safely as an outpatient procedure is controversial. In 1993, a prot ocol for outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy was instituted to det ermine the benefits and safety of discharging patients within several hours of surgery. Methods: The initial 60 outpatient laparoscopic chol ecystectomies performed by one surgeon in a hospital-based outpatient teaching facility between February 1993 to June 1996 were prospectivel y studied. Results: Fifty-eight (97%) patients were discharged success fully after an average stay in the recovery room of 3 h. There were no deaths. Two patients required overnight observation and three patient s required readmission. Two patients (3%) had cystic duct leak. The av erage hospital stay for all patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecyst ectomy at the institution (inpatient and outpatient) decreased from 3. 2 to 1.5 days and the average hospital cost decreased from $7,800 to $ 4,600 during this period, Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in an outpatient setting is safe and cost-effective in healthy patients.