Patient rights, provider rights: balancing the conflict

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a minimally invasive and highly effective technique for gallstone disease. The authors report their experience of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Between September 1992 and December 1994 we performed laparoscopic operations on 212 patients with gallstone disease. Our series included 149 female and 63 male patients; 29 patients was converted intraoperatively to the open procedure. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the best surgical approach for the treatment of cholelithiasis: it reduces postoperative pain and hospital stay, has cosmetical and financial benefits.