ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) now has become the golden standard in the treatment of symptomatic gallstone cholecystitis. AIM: This retrospective analysis was conducted to clarify the reasons of early return to the hospital after discharge following a procedure like LC that has been frequently performed in daily surgical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study covers 586 patients, who were called to follow-ups and thus evaluated, of 676 patients who had had LCs at Meram Medical School's General Surgery Clinic between January 2010 and May 2011. FINDINGS: The rate of representation to the hospital during the early phase following LC was found to be 2.4% in our study. It was observed that 71% of returning patients had presented to the hospital with complaints of abdominal pain. DISCUSSION: We believe that the rate of 2.4% early return to the hospital in our series is a bit high when all the complications are taken into consideration. This retrospective analysis, however, has shown that this rate can further be decreased by taking simple measures.
