An audit of ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a Singapore institution: are we ready for day-case laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

Background: Day-Case laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is practiced in many countries. However, this has yet to be widely accepted in Singapore. This study aims to determine the potential success rate of day-case LC in our institution.

Patient And Methods: We retrospectively assessed the proportion of our Ambulatory Surgery 23 hour (AS23) LC patients that met discharge criteria. Our proposed same-day discharge criteria include minimal pain, ability to tolerate feeds, ambulate independently and void spontaneously after 6-8 hours of monitoring.

Results: From January 2005 to December 2006, of 405 patients listed for elective LC, 84% of patients were admitted to our AS23 ward. Patients with previous biliary sepsis or pancreatitis or who need laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) were included. The other 66 were admitted as inpatient. Forty-one of them were admitted due to conversion. A history of cholecystitis or cholangitis was a significant predictor of conversion to open surgery (OR=5.73 and 5.74 respectively, p<0.001). Of the 339 patients, 66% of them fulfilled all four criteria within eight hours of monitoring. Therefore, based on an intention-to-treat analysis, 51.2% fulfilled all four criteria and could potentially be discharged the same day. No predictor for failure was identified, including presence of co-morbidities, duration of operation, surgeon's grade and additional procedures like LCBDE.

Conclusion: Using our current inclusion criteria, we projected a success rate of at least 50% with the implementation of day-case LC. With the attendant advantages of cost savings and reduced resource utilization, it is therefore worthwhile to start it in Singapore.