Perioperative Events of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Patients with Hemoglobinopathies

Abstract

Background: Hemoglobinopathies are common genetic disorders affecting the synthesis of one of the globin chains of hemoglobin molecule. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the standard procedure for treatment of patients with normal hemoglobin and symptomatic gall stones, but doubt is still to date regarding safety of this procedure in patients with hemoglobinopathy. Aims: 1. To assess the safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for hemoglobinopathic patients, 2. To describe the perioperative events that might happen before, during or after this procedure. Patients and Methods: This is a record-based comparative study conducted over a period of seven years, involved 62 hemoglobinopathic patients and 148 patients with normal hemoglobin variant. All underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and comparison done regarding perioperative events. Results: The overall complication rate was 56.5% in hemoglobinopathic patients and 21.6% in the other group and the difference was statistically significant (P-value ˂0.001). Vaso-occlusive crisis occurred in 9 patients (14.5%), respiratory complications (atelectasis and bronchitis) in (9.7%), acute chest syndrome in (4.8%) and hemolysis in (4.8%). Conclusions: 1. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is safe in well prepared hemoglobinopathic patients but it is associated with significantly higher rate of disease related complications, namely acute chest syndrome, hemolysis and vaso-occlusive crises.2-Hemoglobinopathic patients require special pre, intra and post-operative care which should be offered by the surgeon, the physician and the anesthetist