[Cholecystectomy through minimal incision (author's transl)]

Abstract

Cholecystectomy and nearly all biliary tract surgery can be performed in adults through a right transverse incision which, for the skin, varies in length from 3 to 6 cm and only requires a few narrow retractors and some time and training. Beside its obvious cosmetic advantages, the short incision reduces post-operative abdominal wall and intestinal transit problems and increases the patient's general and respiratory comfort. Its major drawback is that it does not permit full abdominal exploration, which must be carried out by pre-operative investigation methods. This technique was used in 1500 out of 1800 patients who underwent cholecystectomy since 1973, without any complication associated with the small size of the incision.