Laparoscopic surgery as a beginner in a new rural institute: single surgeon experience -

Background: Laparoscopic surgery has become indispensable for all surgical procedures worldwide. Every surgeon wants to master the art of laparoscopic surgery as quickly as possible, but has to go through a ‘learning curve’ for almost all procedures-basic or advanced. Methods: The study was conducted on all the patients admitted under a single surgeon through outdoor in the department of Surgery, who underwent elective laparoscopic surgery during July 2008 to July 2010 (2 years) in UPRIMS & R, Saifai, Etawah. Various laparoscopic procedures were performed under adequate anaesthesia after proper convincing and informed consent. Results: In the present study undertaken at UP Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Saifai over the period of two years in the department of surgery by a single surgeon, 398 (three hundred seventy eight) patients underwent different laparoscopic procedures. Among all cases, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was the commonest procedure performed (325 cases, 85.97%) followed by laparoscopic appendectomy (30 cases, 7.93%). Conclusions: Laparoscopic surgery is here to stay and success in it is determined by how quickly and effectively we learn. However certain measures may be taken to lessen some of the adverse effects of the learning curve and others to help laparoscopic surgeons ease into the specialist.