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Evidence summaries

Mortality and Complications of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

The mortality range of laparoscopic cholecystecomy appears to be 9 - 16 per 10,000, common bile duct injury range 35 - 45 per 10,000 and conversion rate to open cholecystectomy around 5%. Level of evidence: "C"

A systematic review 1 including 15 studies on laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) from multiple institutions (n=48,795), 28 studies on open cholecystectomy (OC) from a single institution (n=12,973), 75 studies on reasons for conversion from LC to OC (n=25,763, of whom 1400 had a conversion), and 83 studies on LC from a single institution (n=30,052) was abstracted in DARE.

LC from a single institution mortality range was 14 - 16 per 10,000, common bile duct injury range was 36 - 47 per 10,000, and conversion rate range was 4.9 - 5.2%. LC from multiple institutions mortality range was 8.6 - 9.1 per 10,000, common bile duct injury range was 46 - 47 per 10,000, and conversion rate was 5.5%.

Conversion to OC was most commonly due to technical reasons.

Comment: The quality of evidence is upgraded by consistency.

    References

    • Shea JA, Healey MJ, Berlin JA, Clarke JR, Malet PF, Staroscik RN, Schwartz JS, Williams SV. Mortality and complications associated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A meta-analysis. Ann Surg 1996 Nov;224(5):609-20. [PubMed][DARE]

Primary/Secondary Keywords