Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A 15-years Experience at a Single Centre, Wad Medani, Sudan.

Background: Since 1998, laparoscopic cholecystectomy continues to be the procedure of choice for nonmalignant gallbladder disease in the Gezira Centre for Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgery. This study was aimed at analyzing the large series of laparoscopic cholecystectomies and to compare our results with those reported in the literature concerning complications and outcomes.
Methods: The study population consisted of 2842 patients with gallbladder disease who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy from September 1998 to September 2013. Clinical data was abstracted from the completed records of the 2842 patients. We analyzed the successfulness of the results, intra-operative and postoperative complications, the conversions to open cholecystectomy, morbidity and mortality rate.
Results: 2842 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Intraoperative complications were excessive bleeding necessitating conversion in 0.74 % and biliary ducts injury in 0.31%. Postoperative complications were wound infection in 0.21%, incisional umbilical hernias in 0.28% of patients and the conversion to open cholecystectomy was necessary in 5.13%. The mortality rate was 0.21%.
Conclusions: Our results on large number of patients are more or less similar to other series in the newer literature but the rate of complications should be decreased. The incidence of complications decreases with growing laparoscopic experience.