Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Jun 27, 2026; 18(6): 119524
Published online Jun 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.119524
Published online Jun 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.119524
Essential strategies for the management of challenging laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures
Efstathios T Pavlidis, Theodoros E Pavlidis, The Second Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, Hippokration General Hospital, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece
Christina Mouratidou, Alexandra G Marneri, Department of Intensive Care Unit, Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece
Athanasios Kofinas, Department of Transplantation Surgery, Center for Research and Innovation in Solid Organ Transplantation, Hippokration General Hospital, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece
Kalliopi E Stavrati, Department of Surgical, Eugenideio Hospital, Athens 11528, Greece
Author contributions: Pavlidis ET and Mouratidou C conceived the study design and carried out data analysis; Marneri AG and Stavrati KE developed analytical tools, assessed the data, and contributed to manuscript revision; Kofinas A assisted with data collection and interpretation; Pavlidis TE supervised data analysis and reviewed the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: No AI tools were used.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Theodoros E Pavlidis, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus, The Second Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, Hippokration General Hospital, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Konstantinoupoleos 49, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece.
Received: January 30, 2026
Revised: March 3, 2026
Accepted: March 31, 2026
Published online: June 27, 2026
Processing time: 142 Days and 19.1 Hours
Revised: March 3, 2026
Accepted: March 31, 2026
Published online: June 27, 2026
Processing time: 142 Days and 19.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Patient safety requires increased caution and precision in decision-making when challenges are experienced during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is essential to incorporate valuable available diagnostic tools and alternative bailout operative interventions into the management plan for complex cases, along with recognizing when to stop or convert the approach to open cholecystectomy. Failure to accomplish this task may result in catastrophic complications during the procedure. Training and expertise are necessary preconditions for favorable outcomes.