BACKGROUND: The authors present their experience with 50 patients undergoing videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy in an ambulatory care setting at University Hospital, ABC Medical School. METHODS:Forty-two patients (84%) were female and 8 (16%) male, age ranged from 23 and 60 years, mean age 41,5 years. Patients with diagnosis of calculous chronic cholecystitis were selected under the following criteria: no accute cholecystitis, maximum age of 60 years, no suspicion of choledocolithiasis, preoperative clinical evaluation ASA I or II, patient consent for the procedure and hospitalization period and presence of a companion. The team position and operative technique were the same as the american school. RESULTS: Surgical time ranged from 50 minutes to 2 hours, mean time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. Intraoperative cholangiography was carried out in 35 patients (70%), showing choledocolithiasis in one case (2%), requiring a shift toward an open surgery. The most frequent complications in the early postoperative period were nausea and vomit in 3 cases (6%), followed by intense abdominal pain in 2 cases (4%). These patients were treated with antiemetic drugs and analgesics and were discharged one day after the surgery. Forty-four patients (88%) were discharged after a mean hospitalization period of 12 hours. Follow-up visits were scheduled for postoperative day 7 and 13 and none of patients required readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulatory videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy is a security surgery.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy; Laparoscopy; Ambulatory surgery
