An evaluation of laparoscopic versus open cholecystectomy

Abstract

Objective: To compare open cholecystectomy (OC) with laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in terms of clinical aspects and a limited review of costs. Setting: The Austin Hospital, Melbourne, a university teaching hospital. Design: Prospective LC patients were compared with a retrospective group of OC patients whose surgery had been performed by the same surgeons. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing LC were interviewed, their medical records were analysed and the cost of their hospitalisation was assessed. Similar data, collected previously from patients undergoing OC, were used for comparison. Results: There were 108 patients in each group, 93.5% treated electively. All had gallstones. No ..