RESUMEN
In order to determine the national incidence of adverse events following laparoscopic cholecystectomy [LC] the records were reviewed retrospectively of 4861 patients who underwent LC over a period of ten years [1993-2003]. The most serious non-biliary complication was trocar injury of major vessels in three cases. Other non-biliary complications included duodenal perforation during dissection of the Calot's triangle, small bowel injury while inserting the umbilical port and trocar site hernia. Adverse biliary events included common bile duct injury, common hepatic duct injury, bile leakage from the cystic duct and one instance of the migration of an endoloop into the common bile duct. Conversion to open cholecystectomy was required in 109 cases. Although LC may be associated with various adverse sequelae, these are rare and should not deter surgeons and patients