AUDIT OF EVOLVING ROLES OF LAPAROSCOPY IN THE CURRENT SURGICAL PRACTICE AT CHRIS HANI BARAGWANATH ACADEMIC HOSPITAL: A 5 YEAR REVIEW

Abstract

Background: Laparoscopic surgery (LS) is gaining momentum and has revolutionised the practice of surgery. Over the past thirty years, LS has been used to manage a wide range of surgical pathologies and has become a recognised and generally accepted standard of care. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe the evolution of LS in selected procedures.. Methods: Data were collected from theatre registries. Statistical analysis was performed using the software IMB SPSS. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation for age, and percentage and frequencies for categories of variables . Results: Of the 3745 patients involved in the study, 59.1% were males and 40.9% were females. The mean age of the patients was 35.17±17.30 years. Laparoscopic surgery was represented in 43.2% of the procedures, with laparoscopic appendicectomy (46.73%) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (32.69%) being the most commonly performed procedures.. Twenty-five adrenalectomies were performed over the study period, and of those 12 (52%) were performed laparoscopically. All the thymectomies (12) were performed thoracoscopically, with one conversion. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that there has been an increase in the overall incidence of laparoscopic surgery in selected procedures at CHBAH.