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Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has recently become a popular alternative to traditional laparotomy and cholecystectomy in the management of patients with gallbladder disease. Elective surgical treatment of cholelithiasis in patients with sickle cell anemia has been followed by frequent postoperative complications. We present a case of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with sickle cell anemia followed by severe postoperative complications related to the hematological disease.

The experience with open cholecystectomy in an university affiliated hospital is documented in this report. We studied retrospectively 221 patients operated between 1987 and 1992, type of surgery, morbidity and mortality were analyzed. There were 171 (77.3%) cholecystectomy alone and 50 (22.7%) cholecystectomy with other biliary surgery (BS). Pulmonary, urinary and wound complications were the most common. Overall incidence of complications was 7.2%. For patients with cholecystectomy alone morbidity was 3.5% and for patients with BS morbidity was 20% (p < 0.002). There were no mortality in this group of patients.

A patient with duodenal obstruction resulting from passage of a gallstone through the wall of the gallbladder into the duodenum is reported. The patient was successfully treated by removal of the gallstone. A review of literature concerning the diagnosis, treatment and etiopathogenesis is presented.