Abstracts
1998 Digestive Disease Week

#1050

MINI-LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY: EVALUATING A NEW APPROACH. PR Reardon, JI Kamelgard, BA Applebaum, FC Brunicardi. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Advances in fiberoptics and miniaturization of instrumentation has led to the development of 2mm laparoscopes, graspers, and scissors. Theses advances have allowed the development of new techniques for performing routine operations such as Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC). The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of performing a mini-LC at our teaching institution using one 10mm umbilical port and three 2mm right upper quadrant (RUQ) ports. Methods: Our study used a 2mm fiberoptic videolaparoscope inserted via the midline RUQ port, 2mm graspers inserted via the two other RUQ ports, and standard sized dissection, clipping, and cautery instruments inserted via the umbilical port. Data from 100 sequential patients undergoing mini-LC were acquired between July 1996 and August 1997, and compared to those of 100 sequential patients who had undergone conventional LC. Results: No statistical difference was noted between the two groups of patients. Operative time ranged from 30 to 256 minutes for the mini-LC group, and 25 to 255 minutes for the conventional LC group, with means of 89 and 82 minutes respectively (p>0.05). Postoperative length of stay ranged from 0 to 18 days for the mini-LC group, and 0 to 21 days for the conventional LC group, with means of 1.5 and 1.9 days respectively (p>0.05). No patients in either group required conversion to open Cholecystectomy. Conclusion: These data from our study suggest that a more minimalistic approach to laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be accomplished at our teaching institution with equal efficacy and safety as the more conventional technique.

Copyright 1996 - 1998, SSAT, Inc. Revised 29 June 1998.