[Ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A cohort study of 1,600 consecutive cases].

OBJECTIVE A descriptive analysis of day-case laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ALC) in a cohort of 1,600 consecutive patients performed in Instituto de Cirugía y Aparato Digestivo (ICAD), Clínica Quirón de Valencia in the period 1997-2010. PATIENTS AND METHODS Prospective observational study of 1,601 consecutive patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) provided by the regional health service and private health companies. MAIN MEASURES Conversion rate, non-planned admissions, readmissions, surgery duration and demographics. RESULTS ALC was successfully performed in 80.8% of cases. LC with over-night (ON) stay accounted for 13.4% of patients. Admission was necessary in 4.6%. Mortality was 0.13%, 0.08 in ALC and 0.5% in ON LC. Readmissions occurred in 2.1%, 1.6% in ALC group, 5.4% in ON stay and 4.2% in admission group. CONCLUSIONS ALC is a reliable and safe procedure. Minimization of admission rates is the key for cost-effective optimization in the management of cholelithiasis. ALC should be considered as the reference standard in gallbladder stone disease treatment.