Comparative Study of Low Pressure versus Standard Pressure Carbon Dioxide Pneumoperitoneum in Reducing Shoulder Tip Pain Post Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Introduction: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard treatment for cholelithiasis. Postoperative shoulder tip pain is common complaint. Evidences suggest that using low pressure pneumoperitoneum (8-10 mmHg) during the procedure rather than standard pressure (12-14 mmHg) decreases the incidence and severity of shoulder tip pain without compromising working space. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of low pressure and standard pressure pneumoperitoneum on shoulder tip pain post laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: A prospective hospital based study conducted at Nepalgunj Medical College, Kohalpur from January 2019 to December 2020. Hundred patients were enrolled, fifty each in “low pressure carbondioxide pneumoperitoneum” and “standard pressure carbondioxide pneumoperitoneum” groups, who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The two groups were compared in terms of incidence and severity of shoulder tip pain, surgeon’s satisfaction score, top-up analgesia requirement, procedural time, conversion to standard pressure, intraoperative complications and length of hospital stay. Results: There were 45 (90%) females and five (10%) males in low pressure group and 44 (88%) females and six (12%) males in standard pressure group. Fourteen (28%) patients in low pressure and 32 (64%) patients in standard pressure group had shoulder tip pain (p=0.001). The severity of shoulder tip pain was less in low pressure group and was significant at eight hours (p=0.006) and 12 hours (p=0.008). Top-up analgesia was required more in standard pressure group. There were no intraoperative complications but only one conversion to standard pressure. Surgeon’s satisfaction score, conversion to open cholecystectomy and procedural time were comparable in both groups with shorter hospital stay in low pressure group. Conclusion: Low pressure carbondioxide pneumoperitoneum is safe and effective strategy in reducing incidence and severity of shoulder tip pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Minilaparotomy Cholecystectomy: A Forgotten Art in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Era (Our Experience from a Peripheral Hospital in North India)

Background: This study aimed to report the experience of performing minilaparotomy cholecystectomy in a peripheral hospital by a single surgeon. Methods: Data collected from 50 consecutive patients undergoing minilaparotomy cholecystectomy by a single surgeon over 18 months at a peripheral hospital were reviewed and studied. The recorded data encompassed demographics, operating time, incision size, conversion rate to open cholecystectomy, perioperative complications, and hospital stay duration. Results: Fifty consecutive patients, who underwent minilaparotomy cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis, were studied, among whom 48 patients were females. The participants’ mean age was 45 years. The length of the surgical incision was 4.5 - 6 cm, and only three patients required conversion to open cholecystectomy. The average operating time was 60 minutes; and the average postoperative hospital stay was 2.14 days. Conclusions: Minilaparotomy cholecystectomy is comparable with laparoscopic cholecystectomy in terms of postoperative morbidity, and it is ideal for peripheral hospitals lacking laparoscopic facilities.

Outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in terms of intraoperative complications in a tertiary care hospital.

Objectives: The main objective was to evaluate the outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in terms of intra-operative complications and the rate and reasons of conversion to open cholecystectomy. Study Design: Descriptive Study. Setting: Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. Period: June 2018 to May 2019. Material & Methods: After taking consent of Hospital ethical & research committee, patients admitted with clinical diagnosis of cholelithiasis and chronic cholecystitis, confirmed by abdominal ultrasound, undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy fulfilling inclusion criteria were selected. Results: A total of 150 were included in the study. Mean age was 39.2yrs with female to male ratio of 9.75:1. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was successfully accomplished in 98% cases. In 2% (3 patients) converted cases the most common cause of conversion observed was dense adhesions in the calots triangle. Intra-operative complications were noted in 1.4% patients, those included bile duct injury and leakage from the gallbladder bed. However other complications such as bowel injury, blood vessel injury, and post operative hemorrhage did not occur. Overall morbidity was 1.4% with no mortality. Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and effective procedure in our setup to the accepted standards, as evident by the national and international studies. And it can be accomplished with minimal morbidity and low rate of conversion with the increasing surgeon’s experience.

P-EGS22 Emergency cholecystectomy: A comparative study of patient outcomes during COVID-19 pandemic with pre-COVID-19 period

Background Emergency cholecystectomy is recommended for all acute admissions with symptomatic gall stones. The Royal College of Surgeons and AUGIS on 25th March 2020 recommended that all laparoscopic procedures should be avoided during the COVID-19 pandemic with the view to minimise the risk of virus transmission from aerosol-generating procedures. This retrospective study compares the outcomes of patients undergoing emergency cholecystectomy during the COVID-19 period with the pre-COVID-19 period. Methods All patients who underwent emergency cholecystectomy (EC) from March 2019 to March 2021 were included. ‘Pre-COVID-19’ period was defined as 25th March 2019 to 24th March 2020, whereas the ‘COVID-19’ period was from 25th March 2020 to 24th March 2021. Mortality was considered as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include the 30-day postoperative complications based on the Calvien-Dindo classification (CDC) and the length of stay (LOS). Mortality and postoperative complications were assessed using the Chi-squared test, whilst LOS was studied using the Mann-Whitney U test. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 143patients underwent EC during the 24-month study period (75patients pre-COVID-19 and 68patients during COVID-19). The 30-day mortality was nil. 9patients;12% in pre-COVID-19 period and 11patients;16% in COVID-19 period underwent conversion to open cholecystectomy (p = 0.47). 18patients;24% from pre-COVID-19 and 19patients;27.9% from COVID-19 periods developed postoperative complications (p = 0.59). Grade-2-CDC complications were seen in 12patients;17.6% during COVID-19 period and 5patients;6.7% in pre-COVID-19 period (p = 0.0043). However, grade-3,4 CDC complications requiring intervention (p = 0.39), and ICU-admission (p = 0.62) were comparable in both periods. 1patient developed COVID-19 infection but made a full recovery. Mean LOS was 6-days in both periods, with no statistical difference (p = 0.28). Conclusions This study demonstrated no significant difference in patient outcomes who underwent emergency cholecystectomy during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Emergency cholecystectomy should be offered to all surgically fit patients with symptomatic gall stones.

Conversion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy to open cholecystectomy in a single center

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become the gold standard for the surgical treatment of gallbladder disease, but conversions to open cholecystectomy are still inevitable in certain cases. Knowledge about the rate and underlying reasons for conversion could help surgeons during preoperative assessment and improve the informed consent of patients. We decide to review the rate and causes of conversion of our LC series. This study included 320 consecutive laparoscopic cholecystectomies from January 2017 to December 2019 at Community Based Medical College Hospital Bangladesh, Mymensingh. All patients had surgery performed by same surgeon. Conversion to open cholecystectomy required in 15 (4.6%) patients. Out of 15 cases, the highest number of patients 10(66.6%) were in age group 50 to 59 years with a mean age of 60.1 years and standard deviation (SD) of 9.8 years. Of them 9 (60%) were male. The most common reasons for conversion of them were severe adhesions at calot's triangle 6 (40%) and acutely inflamed gallbladder 5 (33.3%), bleeding 2 (13%). No surgical procedures are complication free. The most common complication was superficial wound infection 8(2.5%). Delayed complications seen in our series is port site incisional hernia 2 (0.62%). Male gender, age older than 60 years, previous upper abdominal surgery, diabetes, and severity of inflammation were all significantly correlated with an increased conversion rate to laparotomy. LC is the preferred method even in difficult cases. This study emphasizes that although the rate of conversion to open surgery and complication rate are low in experienced hands, the surgeons should keep a low threshold for conversion to open surgery. CBMJ 2020 July: Vol. 09 No. 02 P: 14-18

TP8.2.6 The effect of checklists on the surgical performance during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A systematic review

Aims Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is known to be one of the most widely performed general surgical operations. However, it is still associated with an increased incidence and severity of complications especially during the period of a surgeon’s proficiency-gain curve. Certain complications could be prevented by decreasing the incidence and consequences of surgeon errors. We aimed to systematically review the use of checklists during LC and their effect on the surgical task performance. Methods A systematic review was performed in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines. A search was carried out on PubMed, ScienceDirect and the Cochrane-Library databases. English language articles published to November 2020 were included in this study. The terms included: ‘Checklist and laparoscopic cholecystectomy’, ‘checklist and laparoscopic surgery’, ‘checklist and cholecystectomy’ and checklist and minimally invasive surgery’’. MERSQI score was applied for quality assessment. The research protocol was registered with PROSPERO register (CRD42021209118). Results The results of the systematic search resulted in 8862 citations, of which 23 relevant citations were assessed for eligibility. A final 9 articles were included in this study. The endpoints were equipment-related-risk events, numbers and types of adverse events, rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy, team communication and coordination, the number of consequential and inconsequential errors. The positive effect of checklists on the performance during LC was supported with 5 high-quality studies. Conclusion The effect of checklists application during LC showed a significant improvement of the surgical task performance by decreasing the number of surgeons’ errors. We envisage the routine use of checklists during LC.

The Predictive Factors Associated with Longer Operative Time in Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Objective: The difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is defined as the presence of one of the followingconditions including prolonged operative time, conversion to open cholecystectomy or significant blood loss. Atpresent, there is no evidence of predictive factors related to longer operative time in single-incision laparoscopiccholecystectomy (SILC). The aim of this study is to determine predictive factors associated with longer operativetime in SILC procedure.Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of patients with benign gallbladder disease whounderwent SILC in Thammasat University Hospital between October 2014 and December 2020. Patients’ recordswere reviewed. Primary outcomes were preoperative predictive factors associated with DSLC. Secondary outcomeswere perioperative and 3-month postoperative adverse outcomes.Results: 592 SILC procedures were categorized as 80 DSLC and 512 non-difficult SILC (NDSLC). The median(interquartile range) of operative time in all SILC procedure is 48 (38, 62) minutes. The threshold of operative timeof difficult SILC was 72 minutes. The multivariate analysis indicated 5 significant predictive factors. Obesity (bodymass index > 25 kg/m2)) and abdominal pain reflected the difficulty of SILC procedures (p = 0.041 and p = 0.009).Calcified gallbladder showed the highest RR of 14.08 (p = 0.011). Contracted gallbladder and chronic cholecystitiswere also predictive factors with RR of 13.79 and 3.64, respectively (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007).Conclusion: Obesity, abdominal pain, chronic cholecystitis, contracted gallbladder and calcified gallbladder werepreoperative predictive factors. Surgeons should perform the SILC procedure carefully when predictive factors areidentified.

SP6.1.8Fundus-first laparoscopic cholecystectomy for complex gallbladders: A systematic review

Aims Retrograde ‘fundus-first’ cholecystectomy is when the dissection starts from the fundus of the gallbladder to the infundibulum, in case structures of Calot's triangle cannot be identified. Although feasible in laparoscopic cholecystectomy, it remains an underutilized approach. We aimed to systematically review the fundus-first laparoscopic cholecystectomy and study its safety and feasibility. Methods A systematic review was performed in compliance with PRISMA guidelines. A literature search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect and Cochrane-Library for articles published from 2010 to 2020. Search keywords included ‘retrograde cholecystectomy’, ‘fundus-first cholecystectomy’ and ‘fundus-down cholecystectomy’. Quality assessments were applied using the Medical Education Research Quality Instrument (MERSQI) score. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO register. Results A total of 3503 studies formed the base for evidence evaluations. 12 studies with 1978 fundus-first cholecystectomies were assessed. Three citations were scored high and 5 moderate quality. Endpoints included blood loss, rate of conversion to open, bile duct injury, gallbladders perforations, postoperative pain and hospital stay. Nine studies provided both strong and moderate scientific evidence for a positive outcome of the fundus-first approach. Conclusion The fundus-first cholecystectomy was associated with a reduced need for intraoperative cholangiography, shorter operating time, lower incidence of intra-operative complications, bile duct injury and reduced incidence of conversion to open cholecystectomy.

Utility of pre-operative abdominal ultrasound to predict conversion to open cholecystectomy

Background: Many factors like unclear Calot triangle anatomy, intensely inflamed and thick gallbladder, dense adhesions in the operative area, obscure biliary tree anatomy, local inflammation like pancreatitis contribute to the conversion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy to open cholecystectomy. The aim of the present study was to find the utility of abdomen sonography parameters that predict the conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy.Methods: Ninety patients aged between 20 and 75 years with the diagnosis of cholelithiasis/cholecystitis were included in this observational study. Every patient underwent ultrasonography (USG). The USG findings such as gallbladder wall thickness, presence or absence of stones, number of calculi, size of the calculi, presence of abdominal adhesions, size of the common bile duct was recorded. If feasible, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was done. If not, the procedure was converted to open cholecystectomy. Association of USG findings was correlated with conversion to open cholecystectomy. The comparison of the qualitative variables was done using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Of 90 patients, 7 (7.8%) had a conversion to open cholecystectomy. There was no statistically significant difference of USG parameters studied such as gallbladder wall thickness >4 mm, pericholecystic fluid collection, common bile duct diameter >7 mm, presence of calculus, number of calculi, size of calculus >6 mm and adhesions/fibrosis in patients who required conversion to open cholecystectomy and who were operated laparoscopically.Conclusions: Pre-operative USG parameters did not predict conversion to open cholecystectomy.

Gall Bladder Wall Thickness as a Predictor for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Difficulties in Gadarif, Eastern Sudan

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a revolutionary change in the treatment of patients with gallbladder stones. Multiple studies have identified factors that are predictive of surgical difficulties including preoperative ultra-sonographic findings. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of sonographic measurement of gall bladder wall thickness as a predictive factor for laparoscopic cholecystectomy difficulties in Gadarif Teaching Hospital, Sudan. Patients and methods: This are a prospective, observational, analytical cross-sectional hospital-based study in which all patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gall stones disease and had a pre-operative sonographic measurement for GBWT in GTH in the year 2019 were included. Results: 110 cases were studied. The male to female ratio was 0.2: 1, the mean age was 35±3.8 years. Past history of the acute attack reported in 54 (48.2%) of the patients, history of ERCP was reported in 2 (1.8%) and the majority of patients 71 (64.5%) has no associated medical condition. Abdominal examination was normal in 69 (62.7%) of the patients, 35 (31.8%) patients showed positive Murphy's sign or other signs. Gall bladder thickening, as a predictor of difficulty, was normal of ≤ 3 mm in 69 (62.7%), mild (4-5 mm) in 34 (30.9%), moderate (6-7 mm) in 5 (4.5%), and severe > 7 in 2 (1.8%) of the patients. A significant association was found between GBWT and: duration of symptoms, the number of attacks, operative time and hospital stay, postoperative complication, and conversion to open cholecystectomy. Operative time was found to be associated with the experience of the operator (P-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Pre-operative sonographic increasing gall bladder wall thickness is associated with difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy in terms of postoperative complications, prolonged operative time, and conversion to open cholecystectomy even in expert hands.