Laparoscopic cholecystectomy during pregnancy is safe for both mother and fetus

ABSTRACT

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was carried out in 20 patients having the clinical picture of calcular cholecystitis during pregnancy. The pregnant females have suffered from persistent biliary troubles not responding to conservative medical measures. Persistent nausea vomiting, pain and inability to eat were recorded in 17 patients and acute cholecystitis in three patients. Abdominal ultrasonographic examination revealed thick wall gallbladder with single and/or multiple stones in 15 patients. In three patients, the wall of the gallbladder was thin and distended with multiple stones. In two patients, the gallbladder was small, contracted with thick wall and contained multiple stones. The average operative time was 100 minutes. Dissection of the gallbladder was done by fundus first method in five patients. Two cases were converted to open surgery because of severe inflammation obscuring the anatomy in one case and severe adhesions in another one. The hospital stay ranged from four to seven days. The operation was successful in 18 patients