Laparoscopic cholecystectomy initial experience at Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan

This is a study of initial eighty cases undergoing laparoscopic Cholecystectomy at Surgical Unit-I, Lahore General Hospital, from October, 1994 to November 1995. There were 68 female and 12 male patients with the mean age of 42 years. Ten patients [12.5%] were suffering from acute cholecystitis whereas 70 [87.5%] had chronic cholecystitis with cholelithiasis. The common complications were perforation of gallbladder at dissection and spillage of stones and bile in the peritoneal cavity [12.5%]. The injury to common bile duct was the most dreaded complication which happened in 2 cases [2.5%]. The mean operating time was 80 minutes and conversion rate was 6.25%. There was no mortality in this series. The results of this study suggest that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe alternative to conventional open cholecystectomy

Transvesical repair of vesico-vaginal fistula

Vesico-vaginal fistula is a common problem in our socioeconomic setup. Poor antental care and neglected prolonged labour, usually conducted by untrained "Village Dai", is the commonest cause. The affected women in their early reproductive life, are condemned to live with it. Various methods of repair have been used. One simple method of repair of V.V.F using omental patch interposition is being described. Six cases of V.V.F have been dealt with All patients have recovered fully. However, this method needs further evaluation

Causes of chest pain in patients reporting to accident and emergency department

To find out the prevalence of various causes of chest pain in patients reporting to Accident and Emergency Department, 100 consecutive cases of chest pain were studied. The majority of patients [72%] were found to be suffering from cardiac ailments followed by cases of musculo-skeletal disorders [19%] and chest infections [5%]. The findings emphasise the need of proper cardiac evaluation of every case complaining of chest pain