Gall bladder stones during pregnancy in the age of laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Abstract

Summary Not all pregnant women with gall bladder stones can be treated conservatively – some of them require surgery. The main indications for cholecystectomy are the following: repeated episodes of biliary colic and acute cholecystitis. There is no data indicating which moment during the pregnancy may be the safest to perform the operation. Nowadays, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is more often performed than the traditional procedure. Initial reports about unfavorable results of laparoscopic procedures during pregnancy were not confirmed later on. In most medical centers the preparation of pregnant women for the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, as well as operating technique and postoperative management, do not differ significantly from the management of other patients.There is a general agreement that laparoscopic surgery in case of pregnant patients requires not only a close cooperation between the surgeon and the obstetrician, but also a lot of experience in the laparoscopic technique itself. Further research and publications are needed on this topic, as they might prove the clinical value of this kind of management by showing a significant number of observations regarding laparoscopic cholecystectomies in pregnant women. It is true not only of surgeons but also of the obstetricians.