Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for mild acute gallstone pancreatitis-indication itself is a good predictor of (minimal) intraoperative difficulty-a retrospective cohort study

Objective: The literature predicting difficulties during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) for Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis (AGP) is mainly focused on the timing of operation. In our experience, LC for AGP is rarely difficult irrespective of the timing of operation. The aim of this study was to assess intraoperative difficulties in mild AGP patients to verify this observation. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients who underwent LC for mild AGP between 2014 and 2018 in a single centre was performed. Patients with known alcohol abuse, post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) induced pancreatitis, and those with chronic pancreatitis were excluded. Univariate weighted analysis was performed with 11 factors, with a linear threshold boundary defined as the mean distance between the four degrees of difficulty (DoD 1-4). Results: Ninety-six patients (Male= 33, median age= 56; Female= 63, median age= 52) were analysed. Majority of the patients were an ASA of two (n= 50; 52%) with a median BMI of 28 (range 18-50). Five procedures were technically difficult (DoD >= 3) and only one procedure was converted to open operation. Univariate analysis showed that duration of pancreatitis >6 days (p= 0.002) and evidence of acute cholecystitis (p< 0.05) are associated with a difficult LC (DoD >= 3). The rest of the factors did not influence DoD. Conclusion: Based on this result, we suggest that LC for mild AGP is rarely difficult, and this finding can be used in practice for selecting these patients for training lists.