Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Cantonal Hospital Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina and University Hospital Center Split, Croatia

Cholecystectomy is the most frequently performed operation in abdominal surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the operative procedure and outcomes of the laparoscopic cholecystectomy in two hospitals, the University Hospital Center Split and the Regional Hospital in Livno. A total of 97 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis at University Hospital Center Split and 86 patients from Regional Hospital in Livno, both groups sampled in 2005 were included in this study. Differences in patients' age, gender, operation time, total hospital stay, number of trocarsi ports, antibiotic and parenteral therapy, and complications were analyzed. There were significantly fewer men than women who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in both hospitals. The mean age of the patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy at University Hospital Center Split was higher than that of the patients at Regional Hospital in Livno. The operation time was shorter at the University Hospital Center Split than that at Regional Hospital in Livno. There was a significant difference, in favor of the University Hospital Center Split, in the number of patients who received postoperative antibiotics and parenteral therapy, with fewer patients who received postoperative therapy in Split. At the Regional Hospital in Livno fewer trocars were used for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The average hospital stay of patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures at University Hospital Center Split was shorter than that of patients at Regional Hospital in Livno. Two complications occurred in postoperative period at the University Hospital Center Split and one complication was noticed in hospital in Livno. In conclusion, there were no major complications in postoperative period. It is also encouraging to find that there was significant improvement of surgical approach and technique at the hospital in Livno during the period of time analyzed in this study.