2023, Vol. 5, Issue 3, Part B

Background: Cholecystectomy is one of the most common abdominal surgery performed globally. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) has become the standard of care for gallbladder disease, while Open Cholecystectomy (OC) is still performed based on certain clinical criteria. The purpose of this study is to help compare perioperative outcomes, complications, and recovery parameters between laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy.
Methods: This is a retrospective comparative study that reviewed 486 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy between January 2020 and December 2023 at Private Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. The patients were divided into two groups: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (N=324), and open cholecystectomy (N=162). The primary outcomes were operative time, intraoperative blood loss, length of stay in hospital, and postoperative complications. The secondary outcomes evaluated conversion rates, readmission rates, and patient satisfaction scores.
Results: The laparoscopic cholecystectomy group demonstrated significantly shorter operative time (58.3±12.4 vs 89.7±18.6 minutes, p<0.001) intraoperative blood loss (45.2±15.8 vs 156.3±42.1 mL, p<0.001), length of stay in hospital (1.8±0.7 vs 4.2±1.3 days, p<0.001), and lower overall complication rates (7.4% vs 18.5%, p<0.001). For the study, there was a 4.6% conversion rate from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy. Patient satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the laparoscopic group (8.7±1.2 vs 7.1±1.8, p<0.001)
Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy demonstrates superior perioperative outcomes compared to open cholecystectomy, including operative time, blood loss, length of stay in hospital, and complication rates. On the basis of our findings, we recommend the laparoscopic approach be utilized as the first option for cholecystectomy when it is acceptable to do so.