Abstract: Introduction: Gall stones disease is the commonest biliary pathology, predominantly affecting females all over the world. Open cholecystectomy was once the gold standard surgery for gallbladder diseases. Most studies now suggest that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard surgery for symptomatic gall stone disease.
Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to compare Open Cholecystectomy (OC) and Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) about: 1. Duration of procedure. 2. Blood loss during surgery. 3. Rate of conversion of laparoscopic to open surgery. 4. Return of bowel function. 5. Post-operative pain. 6. Complications like surgical site infection and paralytic ileus. 7. Duration of hospital stay. 8. Return to normal activities. 9. Cost effectiveness. 10. Patient satisfaction.
Materials and Methods: This was a single centre, randomized, prospective, comparative study conducted from July 2022 to June 2023. It was carried out on 50 patients and were randomly divided into two groups, group A (OC) and group B (LC) each consisting of 25 patients.
Results: The most common age group in group A (OC) was 41-50 yrs and in group B (LC) was 31-40 yrs. Conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy was done in 03 cases (12%). In Group A (OC), mean time taken for surgery was 76±12.16 mins and in Group B (LC), it was 96±11.72 mins. In Group A (OC), mean duration of post-operative pain was 5.24±0.66 days and in Group B (LC), it was 2.16±0.55 days. Post-operative return of bowel function, time taken for first oral feed and duration of hospital stay was less in group B (LC). Patient satisfaction was better in group B (LC).
Conclusion: This comparative study concludes that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a better surgical option compared to open cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis.