Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with sickle cell disease.

Over a year (October 1992-September 1993), 30 patients (23 males and 7 females) with sickle cell anaemia and symptomatic gallstones underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The mean age was 26 years (range 15-44 years). The indications were: acute cholecystitis in four patients and long-standing biliary colic in the other 26. Twenty-four patients (80%) had a previous history of abdominal sickle cell crises. The preoperative HbF and HbS levels ranged from 18 to 33% and from 66 to 77.2%, respectively. The haemoglobin level ranged from 8.6 to 12 g% (mean 9.7 g%). Blood transfusion was given preoperatively to 19 patients (63%) and three patients needed perioperative transfusion. The mean operative time was 75 min (range 60-100 min). One of the four emergency cases was converted to open cholecystectomy due to difficult anatomy and inability to grasp a thick-walled, distended gallbladder. Two patients developed minor chest infections and one had an acute vaso-occlusive crisis on the fifth postoperative day and died despite the appropriate treatment (morbidity 6.6%, mortality 3.3%). The median hospital stay was 2 days (range 1-5 days). We believe that LC can be conducted safely in sickle cell patients with gallstones with minimal morbidity and mortality.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: the Dammam Central Hospital experience.

Over a one year period (June 1992-June 1993), 260 patients (208 females and 52 males) with mean age of 37 years (range 13-80), underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for symptomatic gallstones. Thirty patients were admitted as emergency (20 acute cholecystitis, 10 acute pancreatitis). The procedure was performed successfully in 232 cases (89%). In 28 patients (18 electives, 10 emergencies), the procedure was converted to open for a variety of reasons, difficult anatomy being the commonest. Our mean operative time was 99.9 minutes (range 30-290 minutes). There were 3 major complications (2 common bile duct injuries and one abdominal aortic injury) and 4 minor complications (2 wound infections, one prolonged ileus and one chest infection). There was one death due to sickle cell crisis on the fifth post-operative day. The mean hospital stay was 2.3 days and 6.5 days for LC and converted cases, respectively. Our results suggest that laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be offered and conducted safely and effectively in the great majority of patients presenting acutely or electively with cholelithiasis, and that the results we achieved during the first year of our experience with LC is comparable to those reported from Europe and North America.