Comparison of Surgical Outcomes of Emergent Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Acute Cholecystitis Between Attending Surgeons and Residents: A Retrospective Study in Single Medical Center

Background: With improvements in skills and evidence of safety, emergent laparoscopic cholecystectomy is routinely performed for acute cholecystitis, if indicated, at our hospital. However, resident operations are concerned with the dilemmas of training programs and patient safety. Hence, our aim was to clarify the safety and feasibility of emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed by attending surgeons and residents. Materials and Methods: Our study was a retrospective review of 923 patients, who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy between January 2021 and June 2022 at our hospital. We excluded combined surgery, single-port methods, laparoscopic common bile duct exploration, elective surgery, and patients with Mirizzi symptoms. Of the 191 patients who underwent emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 118 were operated on by residents, and 73 were operated on by attending surgeons. Patient demographics, surgical and postoperative outcomes, and length of hospital stay were compared between the groups. Results: No significant differences were observed in sex, age, body mass index (BMI), or surgical history. Older age (60 versus 52 years) and higher BMI (26.29 versus 25.46) were observed in the attending group, and the severity was greater than that in the resident group. No significant differences were observed in the operative results, including mortality (both groups, n = 0), morbidity, blood loss, or length of stay. However, the operation time was significantly shorter in the attending group obviously (86.41 versus 117.89 minutes, P < .0001) significantly. Conclusion: Emergent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystectomy performed by a resident under supervision appears feasible and safe. The resident operator was associated with increased operative times, however, not complications. This study confirms that residents can also finish surgery in precisely selected cases, and the more important concept is knowing the limits of asking for help.