Surgical Site Infection following Gallbladder Extraction during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy – Umbilical versus Epigastric Ports

Background: The most effective treatment for symptomatic gallstones is laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC); nevertheless, surgical site infection (SSI) is still a frequent postoperative concern. Due to variations in wound exposure and the risk of bacterial contamination, the location of gallbladder extraction—through the umbilical or epigastric port—may affect the incidence of SSI. Thus study compared the incidence of SSI after laparoscopic cholecystectomy gallbladder extraction via the umbilical versus epigastric port. Methodology: This prospective cohort study was consisted of two groups of 80 patients (N=160) undergoing elective LC, Group A (umbilical port extraction) and Group B (epigastric port extraction). Consultant surgeons performed all procedures according to standardized aseptic and operative protocols to ensure consistency and reduce bias. The Southampton classification was used to assess postoperative wounds. SPSS version 25.0 was used in statistical analysis with p-value less than 0.05 as statistically significant. Results: From the 160 patients, 17 (10.6%) experienced SSI development. There was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.04) in the incidence between the groups with umbilical ports (12 patients, 15.0%) and epigastric ports (5 patients, 6.3%). Group A and Group B experienced mean postoperative hospital stays of 1.8 ± 0.6 and 1.6 ± 0.5 days, respectively (p = 0.13). Conclusion: Gallbladder extraction using the umbilical port is associated with a significantly increased risk of surgical site infection. After a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, using epigastric port extraction may lessen postoperative wound complications.