Abstract
Cholelithiasis is a common problem, and open cholecystectomy (OC) is one of the commonest surgical procedures performed since 1882. It was just three decades ago when Philippe Mouret, a French gynecologist performed the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). After initial resistance even in United States, it was adopted worldwide.1 Laparoscopic surgery was described as minimal access surgery (MAS) or minimally invasive surgery (MIS). LC beyond doubt proved to be less painful, more acceptable to the patient because of minimal scar, faster post operative recovery, shorter hospital stay and early return to work specially in unmarried females below 40 years of age. Simultaneously, the proponents of OC popularized mini cholecystectomy with a subcostal incision <8 cm in length, which had a shorter mean operative time than LC but there was no statistical difference in other outcomes. Today, more than 700,000 LCs are performed annually in United States alone. It is associated with certain complications including hemorrhage, major vessel laceration, bile duct injuries, bowel perforation, bile leakage, cardiopulmonary complication, acute respiratory distress syndrome, umbilical port infection and port site hernia. In Pakistan, many patients refer to LC as laser surgery, which is a misnomer, as laser is not used in this procedure.
