PROFILE OF LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM TERTIARY CENTRE OF CENTRAL NEPAL

Abstract

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the gold standard method for the treatment of cholelithiasis as it causes less patient discomfort, shorter postoperative hospital stay, early return to work, better cosmesis, and less financial burden. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of LC in Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital, Nepal. Methods: This was the descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in the Department of General Surgery from May 2022 to December 2022 after taking ethical approval from Institutional Review Committee. A convenience sampling technique was used and the data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21. Point estimate and 95% confidence interval was calculated. Results: Out of 270 patients, the ratio of female to male was 4.18:1 with a mean age of 47.13±14.95. Most common indication was symptomatic cholelithiasis 207 (76.7%). The overall mean operative duration was 64.72±29.03 minutes with a conversion rate to open cholecystectomy (OC) was 9 (3.33%) (1.20-5.46, 95% CI), primarily due to unclear anatomy with dense adhesion and a single case of bile duct injury accounting for a prevalence of 0.37% (-0.35 to 1.9, 95% CI). The post-operative complication was 9 (3.33%) and the mean duration of postoperative hospital stay was 2.18±1.05 days with no mortality. Conclusions: The current study shows that LC is safe and effective method of treatment for cholelithiasis, and the results are comparable to those from different parts of world.