Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Conversion Rates Two Decades Later

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Now nearly 2 decades into the laparoscopic era, nationwide laparoscopic cholecystectomy conversion rates remain around 5% to 10%. We analyzed patient- and surgeon-specific factors that may impact the decision to convert to open. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 2205 LCs performed at a large tertiary community hospital over a 52 month period (May 2004 through October 2008). RESULTS: The overall conversion rate was 4.9%. The most common reason for conversion was adhesions, and the majority of these patients had prior abdominal surgery. Males and patients >50 years old had a significantly higher likelihood of open conversion. The conversion rate of high-volume surgeons (≥100 total cases) in comparison to low-volume surgeons (40 to 99 total cases) was significantly lower. Conversion rates were lower among surgeons with fellowship training and those who completed residency training after 1990. Interestingly, the percentage of conversions due to technical difficulty was lower among those with fellowship training but higher among those who completed training after 1990. CONCLUSION: Conversion occurred in ∼5% of all laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Males, patients >50 years old, and cases performed by low-volume surgeons had a higher likelihood of conversion. Other surgeon-specific factors did not have a significant impact on conversion rate.