Molecular and cellular basis of cancer invasion and metastasis: Implications for treatment

✍ Scribed by G. P. H. Gui; R. Carpenter

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 232 KB
• Volume: 82
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-1323
• DOI: 10.1002/bjs.1800820643

✦ Synopsis

Return to work after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Sir

We read with interest the paper by Messrs McLauchlan and Macintyre (Br J Surg 1995; 82: 239-41), which describes their experience with patients' return to work after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In their series they showed that the median time to return to work was 3 weeks. Our institution recently published a study of patients' experiences of cholecystectomy which looked at ability to perform daily activities, and noted similar findings'. We could identify no statistical difference between open and laparoscopic procedures in terms of performing these tasks. Both studies therefore fail to demonstrate the 'accepted' view that one of the main benefits of laparoscopic cholecystectomy when compared with open cholecystectomy is a quicker recovery and earlier return to

We believe that lack of patient motivation is a major contributing factor; if they lack incentive, then return to daily activity (and to work) will be delayed. The catchment area of our hospital includes a large population with a high unemployment rate. Similarly, we note that the 53 per cent of the population studied by Messrs McLaughlan and Macintyre were neither employees nor self-employed. This factor together with the lack of awareness amongst general practitioners of minimally invasive surgery and lack of effective communication with patients may help to explain why postoperative recovery following laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Britain lags far behind that of patients in the USA.