The Phoenix Indian Medical Center experience with laparoscopic cholecystectomy during pregnancy.

Since the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there has been concern about its efficacy in the pregnant patient. This article reports the largest series to date and adds to the growing evidence that the procedure can be safely performed and has the potential to decrease morbidity and mortality. At the Phoenix Indian Medical Center, we performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy in eight women in the second trimester and one in the first trimester of pregnancy, and we attempted it in one patient in her late second trimester. Intra-abdominal pressure was maintained at or below 15 mm Hg. Subsequently, all 10 patients had term vaginal deliveries. In the pregnant patient, laparoscopic cholecystectomy appears to be safe with no morbidity or mortality seen in this series. Early mobilization has the potential to decrease postoperative complications and shorten hospital stay.