Outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Abstract

Outpatient Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy was attempted in 98 patients selected from 266 patients presenting for elective cholecystectomy (37%). Two patients required admission following conversion to "open" Cholecystectomy, one patient was admitted for observation because of a technically difficult Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and 16 patients were admitted because of refractory nausea and vomiting in the early post-operative period. Seventy-nine patients (81%) were able to be discharged home within 4 to 6 hours of surgery, with only one patient requiring readmission to hospital because of the onset of nausea and vomiting. There were no post-operative complications attributable to the outpatient experience. We believe this approach to elective gallbladder pathology can be safely accomplished in selected patients and will be increasingly utilized in the future.