Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, initially performed in France in 1987, has rapidly become popular in other countries, including Korea. In the history of surgery, very few operative procedures have brought such revolutionary change in the ways of
thinking
and practice of surgeons. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, as opposed to open cholecystectomy, yields much better results in the following respects : the patient's well-being, the short operative time, the absence of physical or cosmetic damage, and
the
quick return to normal physical and professional activities.
We performed 400 consecutive laparoscopic cholecystectomies at the department of general surgery of Taejon Eulji General Hospital from 9th January 1992 to 9th May 1994. The aim of our study on laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with a focus on the
emerging
data, was both safety and effectiveness. The average age of the patients was 59.2 years, there were 248 females and 152 males. From the time of the onset of symptoms to coming to our hospital, the majority(73.8%) of admitted patients came in a
year's
length of time. majority of patients have mild to moderate inflammation and adhesion. Mean operation time was 45 minutes. Operative cholangiogram was attempted in 42 patients, succesful in 38 patients. Common bile duct injury during operation
occured in
2 patients (0.5%). Postoperative oral intake begins with 24 hours mostly. The mean length of hospital stay was 2.4 days. in conclusion, laparoscopic cholecystectomy provide distinct advantage over open cholecystectomy in decreasing pain and
disability,
without increasing mortality and overall morbidity, although the rate of common bile duct injury(0.5%) appears to be increased. Thus, future reserch should attempt to identify strategies-that minimize procedure-associated morbidity and optimize
the
cost-effectiveness of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. (Korean J Gastroenterol 1994 ; 26 : 962-970)
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