Cholecystectomy in the red centre: a review of the surgical outcomes in Central Australia in a five-year period

Antonio Barbaro; Steven Ronald Paredes; Steven Tran; Harleen Kaur; Aisha Abdulmoeed Arayne; Jayantha Senaratne

doi:10.1111/ans.19017

Cholecystectomy in the red centre: a review of the surgical outcomes in Central Australia in a five-year period

ANZ J Surg. 2024 Apr 29. doi: 10.1111/ans.19017. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Antonio Barbaro^{1

2}, Steven Ronald Paredes^{1

3}, Steven Tran¹, Harleen Kaur^{1

4}, Aisha Abdulmoeed Arayne¹, Jayantha Senaratne¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Alice Springs Hospital, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.
² Department of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
³ School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ Department of Surgery, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

PMID: 38682428
DOI: 10.1111/ans.19017

Abstract

Background: Despite the high rates of cholecystectomy in Australia, there is minimal literature regarding the outcomes of cholecystectomy in rural Central Australia within the Northern Territory. This study aims to better characterize the outcomes for patients undergoing cholecystectomy in Central Australia and review clinical and patient characteristics, which may affect outcomes.

Method: A retrospective case-control study was performed using data obtained from medical records for all patients undergoing cholecystectomy at Alice Springs Hospital in the Northern Territory from January 2018 until December 2022. Patient characteristics were gathered, and key outcomes examined included: inpatient mortality and 30-day mortality, bile duct injury, bile leak, return to theatre, conversion to open, duration of procedure, length of stay, and up-transfer to a tertiary referral centre.

Results: A total of 466 patients were included in this study. Majority of the patients were female and there was a large portion of Indigenous Australians (56%). There were no inpatient mortalities, or 30-day mortalities recorded. There were two bile leaks and/or bile duct injuries (0.4%) and two unplanned returned to theatres (0.4%). Indigenous Australians were more likely to require an emergency operation and had a longer median length of stay (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Cholecystectomy can be performed safely and to a high standard in Central Australia. Surgeons in Central Australia must appreciate the nuances in the management of patients who come from a significantly different socioeconomic background, with complex medical conditions when compared to metropolitan centres.

Keywords: Aboriginal; Central Australia; cholecystectomy; hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery; outcomes; rural surgery.