EXPERIENCE OF AMBULATORY LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY IN TURKISH PATIENTS

Aim: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become established as the standard procedure for gallstone disease. This study was performed to investigate safety and efficacy of ambulatory LC in selected patient population.
Methods: 70 patients were selected for ambulatory LC based on ASA classification and the patient's willingness to accept the outpatient procedure. ASA-I and ASA-II patients were included into the study. The pain control consisted of using NSAID and infiltration of the port sites with a local anesthetic. The discharged patients were called by telephone in the evening after the operation and asked about their subjective symptoms.
Results: All of the patients were successfully discharged at the day of surgery after mean 8 hours. Only one patient rehospitalised. All patients were controlled 7 days after the operation and no serious complication was noticed.
Conclusion: Ambulatory LC is feasible and safety procedure that can be recommended for carefully selected patient population without overnight stay in hospital.