The Trend of Cholecystectomies After the Introduction of Laparoscopic Surgery in a District Hospital in Abuja, North Central Nigeria

Background Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not readily available in secondary care hospitals in Nigeria, even though it is now the gold standard for the treatment of cholelithiasis and other gallbladder diseases worldwide. Thus, many hospitals in Nigeria still offer open cholecystectomies. This retrospective study investigated the trend of cholecystectomies performed in the general surgery unit of a district hospital in Abuja before and after the commencement of laparoscopic surgery services in 2016. Methodology This retrospective study was conducted in Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria The records of all patients who underwent a cholecystectomy from January 2000 to December 2019 were retrieved and analyzed for the number, types, and rate of cholecystectomies performed per year. All open cholecystectomies were performed via a right subcostal incision, whereas all laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed via the standard four-port incisions approach. Results A total of 96 patients underwent cholecystectomies from January 2000 to December 2019. In total, 50 (52.08%) open cholecystectomies were performed in 20 years with a yearly average of 2.5, and 46 (47.92%) laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed in four years with a yearly average of 11.5. The trend of open cholecystectomies in four years dropped from three (30%) in 2016 to one (5.26%) in 2019, whereas laparoscopic cholecystectomies increased from seven (70%) to 18 (94.74%) within the same period. Conclusions There is a drop in the trend of open cholecystectomies and an increase in both laparoscopic and total cholecystectomies in our hospital. We recommend adequate capacity and subsidized laparoscopic cholecystectomy for secondary healthcare facilities in Nigeria.