Background: The laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure is considered as the gold standard for the management of benign symptomatic gallbladder diseases. In this paper, we present our experience as a tertiary reference center in the management of this disease. Methods: A total of 9864 laparoscopic cholecystectomies have been performed in our institution since 1991. All patients undergo a routine hematologic work-up, high resolution ultrasonography, and, thereafter, a four-port cholecystectomy by the North American approach. We specifically considered 10 areas of controversy. Results: The male: female ratio was 45: 55, with the average age being 40.4 years ( range, 1 year 4 months to 92 years). Asymptomatic patients were 986 in number and 25% had acute cholecystitis, whereas 2.28% had associated choledocholithiasis. The "fundus first" approach was adopted in 88 patients. Three patients had occult gallbladder cancer, of which 2 were in situ and 1 was of the T1 stage. Nearly one third of the patients had gallstone spillage, primarily owing to the performance of a subtotal cholecystectomy procedure in the setting of acute cholecystitis. However, only 1 patient to date has had a problem directly attributable to gallstone spillage. Nearly 13% of patients had an additional procedure along with a cholecystectomy. The average operating time was 21.5 minutes, whereas the average length of postoperative stay was 1.6 days. Conclusions: The laparoscopic approach is suitable for the management of all forms of benign gallbladder diseases. In addition, it is possible to use the laparoscopic approach for indications hitherto considered relatively contraindicated. In a dedicated center, it is possible to perform a large number of cases with low morbidity and minimal conversion rates.
