Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: the St. Vincent experience.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has rapidly become the procedure of choice for the management of patients with symptomatic gallbladder disease. Since December 1989, a total of 622 patients have undergone laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. The operative technique we employ requires the insertion of only three laparoscopic cannulas and uses monopolar electrocautery to dissect the gallbladder from the liver bed. Average operating room time was 90.5 min. Twenty-six (4.2%) of the 622 patients required conversion to open laparotomy. A total of 24 (3.8%) operative complications occurred, including one common bile duct injury. Eight patients required readmission to the hospital. Eighteen percent of patients were discharged on the same day as the operative procedure, and overall average hospital stay was 1.8 days (range, 0 to 59 days).