LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY - INITIAL EXPERIENCE AT RIYADH-CENTRAL-HOSPITAL

This paper presents our experience with laparoscopic cholecystectomy d uring the initial three months since its introduction at Riyadh Centra l Hospital. One hundred and sixty patients were admitted with gallston e disease. The majority were females (74%) and Saudis (56%). Seventy-s ix patients (47.5%) were admitted through the emergency department wit h acute cholecystitis, mucocele of the gallbladder, biliary pancreatit is, biliary colic, or obstructive jaundice. One hundred twenty-seven p atients (69.4%) were submitted to laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which was successfully performed on 120 patients (94.5%). Laparoscopic chole cystectomy was converted to open cholecystectomy in seven patients (5. 5%). Thirty-three patients (20.6%) were directly submitted to open cho lecystectomy for various contraindications to laparoscopic cholecystec tomy. Overall, 75% of patients with gallstone disease were treated by laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There was only one major complication (d uodenal perforation) of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and no mortality in the series. The average operating time for laparoscopic cholecystec tomy was 175 minutes. The average hospital stay was 3.6 days and 8.9 d ays following laparoscopic cholecystectomy and open cholecystectomy, r espectively.