Do complications related to laparoscopic cholecystectomy influence the prognosis of gallbladder cancer?
GROUND: Laparoscopy is thought to worsen the prognosis of gallbladder cancer (GBC) discovered unexpectedly at laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). However, laproscopy has never been shown to have an influence on patient survival in clinical series. METHODS: We Performed a two-center retrospective analysis of 28 patients with GBC (11 previously known, 17 unexpectedly discovered by LC) to determine whether laparoscopy and complications related to LC had any influence on the prognosis of GBC. Resectability for cure after LC, survival, and recurrence related to both the procedure itself and complications associated with LC were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 17 patients with unexpected GBC, 16 were considered resectable for cure at the time of LC. Advanced disease was detected in eight patients by re staging (n = 5) or exploration (n = 3). Seven patients (43.8%) underwent reoperation for cure. Mean survival of patients with unexpected GBC was 26.5 months. Mean survival was shorter when complicati
