ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine and assess the common causes of conversion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy to conventional cholecystectomy
Methods: A cross sectional hospital based study was conducted in Surgical Unit-III, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Karachi Medical and Dental College. Overall 197 patients were selected through consecutive non probability sampling. Patients included were those with symptomatic cholelithiasis including acute cholecystitis, chronic cholecystitis and asymptomatic gall stones in which ultrasound abdomen demonstrated cholelithiasis with normal common bile duct. Written consent was taken from each admitted patients and assessed clinically androutine investigations [CBC, ESR, RBS, Urea, Creatinine, Liver Function test, Hepatitis Profile, X-ray chest, ECG and ultrasonography of abdomen] were done. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was done under general anesthesia
Results: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was successful in 188 patients [95.43%] while in 9 patients [4.59%] laparoscopic cholecystectomy was converted to open cholecystectomy
Conversion was because of haemorrhage in one patient [0.51%], Common bile duct injury inone patient [0.51%], non-visualization of gall bladder in one patient [0.51%], shortage of time for laparoscopic cholectectomy in two patients [.02%], cholecystoduodenalfistula in two patients [1.02%] while two patients [1.02%] were converted to open procedure due to carcinoma gall bladder
Conclusion: The conversion rate was five percent from laparoscopic cholecystectomy to open cholecystectomy hence laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe procedure
The knowledge of common reasons of conversion in our tertiary hospital will help to overcome these factors in future, which benefit in reducing cost and improve patients wellbeing