INTRODUCTION OF LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY IN A LARGE TEACHING HOSPITAL - INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF THE FIRST 3 YEARS

Commencing with the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a de tailed independent prospective audit of all cholecystectomies attribut able to 12 general consultant surgeons has been carried out over a per iod of 3 years. Of 650 operations 502 were intended laparoscopic chole cystectomies. In the first year 58 per cent were intended laparoscopic cholecystectomies; this rose to 80 per cent in the second year and to 90 per cent in the third. The conversion rate was 21 per cent in the first year, 21 per cent in the second and 15 per cent in the third. Th e mean operating time for laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 133 min for year 1, 123 min for year 2 and 115 min for year 3, compared with 92, 101 and 95 min respectively for open cholecystectomy. The overall comp lication rate was 10 per cent for laparoscopic and 21 per cent for ope n cholecystectomy. This included six bile duct injuries (1-2 per cent) in the patients undergoing the laparoscopic procedure and one (0.7 pe r cent) in those having open cholecystectomy. This unselected audit of a group of general surgeons introducing laparoscopic cholecystectomy into their practice has revealed complication and conversion rates tha t are higher than those reported in most of the published literature, but may be representative of practice throughout the UK.