Abdul Qayyum, Sarfaraz Bashir.
Small-Incision Cholecystectomy at Services Hospital, Lahore..
Ann King Edward Med Uni Jan ;5(3,4):273-5.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is gaining increasing acceptance for the treatment of gallstone disease. But it is not cost effective and needs expertise, which is not universally available. We have practiced small-incision cholecystectomy as an alternative in our department. A prospective study was conducted at Surgical Specialist Unit, Services Hospital, Lahore using small incision cholecystectomy over a period of 30 months. A total of 127 patients were operated using 5-8 cm transverse incision. Our operating time was significantly less and hospital stay slightly longer than reported for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The incision was extended 2-4 em laterally in 8 patients, which could be done easily to improve assess for any peroperative indication. We had no serious complications during or after surgery in our patients, which is an advantage over laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We concluded that small incision cholecystectomy is a safe alternative to laparoscopic cholecystectomy where the training or equipment is not available.

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