Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Using 2-Mm Grasps

From April 1997 till June 1999, 136 patients suffering from gallbladder stone and polyp disease were operated on by laparoscopic cholecystectomy with the use of 2-mm grasps (2 cases among them were converted to open cholecystectomy halfway). The operation was performed through four ports;a 10-mm umbilical video port; a 5-mm subxiphoid working port; a 2-mm mid-clavicular retraction port;and one anterior axillary retraction port. Intraoperative cholangiography was performed in 132 cases (98.5%) with the use of a C-arm X-ray instrument in real time. In 134 cases except the 2 cases which were converted to open cholecystectomy, the operative time was 107±31.7 min, for 31 cases with a thick gallbladder wall;84.5±21.5 min, for 103 cases without a thick wall, Though one patient among them had pulmonary embolism as critical complications on the first day after operation, the patient recovered successfully. In conclusion, laparoscopic cholecystectomy with the use of 2-mm grasps turned out to be as feasible as conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and also to be much safer and more reliable by performing intraoperative cholangiography at the same time.