RESULTS OF LAPAROSCOPIC VERSUS OPEN CHOLECYSTECTOMY IN A COMMUNITY-HOSPITAL

In a retrospective study, the first 301 patients who had laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in a university-affiliated community hospital wer e compared with a historical matched control group of patients who had open cholecystectomy. The patients who had LC had a shorter hospital stay, required less postoperative pain medication, resumed normal, act ivities and returned to work sooner, and had a lower minor and total c omplication rate. The mean operating time was 45 minutes longer for LC . Major complications, common bile duct injuries, and mortality were s imilar in both patient groups. The learning curve, use of laser and us e of cholangiography were all analyzed. Our results with LC compared f avorably with results reported in the medical literature.