Ambulatory vs. Non-ambulatory management of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for gallstones: a prospective comparative study

Abstract

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been routinely performed since 1989 and is now considered the “gold standard” treatment for symptomatic gallstones and acute cholecystitis. The rapid recovery post-LC and the improvement in postoperative management have led to a progressively shorter hospital stay. Objective: To compare ambulatory versus non-ambulatory management of elective patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstone diagnosis. Methods: A prospective, non-randomized comparative study. The sample consisted of 59 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy at the surgery department 1 of Dr. Miguel Pérez Carreño hospital between June and October 2023. Results: There were 80.65% females in the non-ambulatory group and 73.08% in the ambulatory group, respectively. In terms of age, weight, height, and surgical time, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. The postoperative hospital stay averaged 33.91±7.28 hours in the non-ambulatory group versus 10.38±2.02 hours in the ambulatory group with a p-value of p=0.000001, which was statistically significant. Regarding complications, we recorded 2 patients representing 6.06% in the non-ambulatory group and 1 patient representing 3.85% in the ambulatory group with a p-value of p=0.27. Conclusion: There were no differences between the groups in terms of complications, demonstrating that ambulatory surgery is a safe and applicable approach that could optimize resources in our daily practice.