Study of Problems & Complications During and After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Nowadays, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the procedure of choice for cholelithiasis and a part of general surgical practice. Benefits of this approach include shorter hospital stay, less pain, quicker return to normal activities and improved cosmetic outcome. This study was done to evaluate the problems & complications faced during and after laparoscopic cholecystectomy like adhesions, sessile gallbladder, thickened wall of gallbladder, bleeding, duodenal injury, cystic duct avulsion and miscellaneous causes such as equipment failure, unsuspected pathology or enterobiliary fistula. This study was conducted on 30 patients of gallbladder disease admitted for cholecystectomy in which laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted. All the patients were selected at random. In the end it was concluded that adhesions around gallbladder & thickened wall of the gallbladder were the most common problems encountered during this study and intra-operative bleeding & gallbladder wall rupture were the most common complications during surgery. Unforeseen problems like technical failure, due to problem in equipment, can happen during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Wound infection & fever in the post-operative period were the commonest complications after surgery especially in those patients who had undergone conversion into open cholecystectomy because of intra-operative problems. No wound infection was encountered in cases that underwent successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy.