Laparoscopic cholecystectomy at Rawalpindi General Hospital a clinical practice audit

To evaluate the practice audit of Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A prospective, clinical practice audit At Surgical Unit-I, Rawalpindi General Hospital and at the author's Surgical Clinics from January 1998 to December 2007. There were 883 females and 117 males. Mean age was 45.0 +/- 11.0 years. Sixty six point six percent patients had chronic cholecystitis with cholelithiasis and were admitted through Out Patient Department whereas 33.4% were admitted through Accident and Emergency Department with acute cholecystitis. Abdominal ultrasound showed multiple calculi in 745 [74.5%] patients and 255 [25.5%] patients had single calculus preoperatively. Empyema was found in 60[6%] cases whereas adhesions were present in 403[40.3%] patients. In our study conversion rate was 4.8% and frequency of injury to common bile duct was 1.4%. Mean operating time was 40 minutes. Ninety two recent of the patients were discharged within 48 hrs of operation. There was no mortality while post-operative complications were seen in 6% patients. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in our set up proved to be a safe procedure having short duration of surgery and short hospital stay