Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with bilharzial portal hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with bilharzial portal hypertension. METHODS: Patients who had gallstones and bilharzia had ultrasonographic assessment of peri-portal fibrosis, endoscopy, hemagglutination and rectal snip. Operating time, blood loss, hospital stay, time of return to work and operative mortality were recorded. Follow-up was two weeks, six weeks and six months after discharge. RESULTS: Twenty-five out of 450 patients, who had laparoscopic cholecystectomy, suffered from bilharzial portal hypertension. Ten patients had grade 1 varices, 10 had grade 2 varices, and 5 had grade 3 esophageal varices. All patients had varying degrees of peri-portal fibrosis as shown by ultrasound. Rectal snip showed schistosoma mansoni in 5 patients, and a hemagglutination test was positive in all. Two patients had conversion to open cholecystectomy. Mean operating time was 1 hour and 15 minutes. Average blood loss was 50 cc. Mean hospital stay for 23 patients was 48 hours. Average time of return to work was 2 weeks in 23 patients and 6 weeks in the 2 patients who had conversion. Twenty-two patients benefited from the operation. There was no mortality in this series. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with bilharzial portal hypertension is feasible and has low morbidity.