Laparoscopic cholecystectomy at the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate our experience of laparoscopic cholecystectomies at the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi over a three-year period from the inception of the technique, and to assess its value and advantages to the patients. DESIGN A prospective case series study. SETTING The Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi. PATIENTS One hundred and thirty five cases operated from February 1996 to April 1999. All patients were subjected to the American method of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which is described in detail in this paper. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical presentation, age and sex demographics, average hospital stay, intraoperative and postoperative complications and outcome. RESULTS There was a female preponderance with a female to male ratio of 5:1. Mean age was forty nine years. Majority of patients suffered from chronic cholecystitis. The conversion rate to an open procedure was five per cent. There were two cases of significant bile leakage which required laparotomy. No mortality was reported in this series. CONCLUSION This technique was found to have distinct advantages such as shorter hospital stay, lesser postoperative pain and very good cosmesis. It is a safe procedure if performed by a well trained surgeon.