Diagnosis and treatment of unexpected gallbladder carcinoma in laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Abstract

Objective To explore the feasibility of radical cholecystectomy for early gallbladder car cinoma found during or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients who received laparoscopic cholecystectomy between January 2007 to August 2013 and were diagnosed to have gallbladder cancer during or after the operation.There were 34 patients.In 29 patients intraoperative frozen section diagnosed gallbladder carcinoma.In 5 patients postoperative histopathological study diagnosed stage Ⅰ or Ⅱ gallbladder carcinoma.Results Surgery was conducted successfully on these 34 patients.In 20 patients with stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ,the tumor had invaded the serosa,or into the liver with a depth of less than 2 cm,laparoscopic cholecystectomy alone or radical/extended radical cholecystectomy were carried out.In 9 patients,the laparoscopic surgery was converted to open surgery and these patients underwent cholecystectomy with resection of the adjacent liver segments/sections.In 5 patients who were diagnosed to have gallbladder carcinoma after laparoscopic cholecystectomy,they were re-operated with laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy.Conclusions Stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ gallbladder carcinoma with tumor invasion into serosa,or patients with tumor invasion into the liver with a depth of less than 2 cm should undergo radical or extended radical cholecystectomy.Laparoscopic assisted radical or extended radical cholecystectomy could achieve the same operation as with open surgery but with better short-term results.There were less pain,smaller incisions,better scars and shorter hospitalization stay. Key words: Unexpected gallbladder carcinoma; Gallbladder carcinoma; Laparoscopic cholecyslectomy; Radical cholecyslectomy