ULTRASOUND FINDINGS FOLLOWING LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY

This study was set up to find the incidence of fluid collections in as ymptomatic patients following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients h ad an ultrasound scan on the first postoperative day and approximately 1 week later. Seven of 25 patients (28%) had a total of nine collecti ons on the first postoperative day. Five had resolved by the follow-up scan and two patients developed new collections by the 1 week scan. N one of the patients had significant postoperative symptoms. We emphasi ze the high incidence of ultrasonically detectable fluid collections i n asymptomatic patients following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, encour age caution in attributing postoperative morbidity to such findings, a nd suggest that repeat scanning may be helpful in patient management.