"ASSESSING THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF THREE PORT VS FOUR PORT TECHNIQUE IN LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY"

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has evolved as the gold standard for the treatment of symptomatic cholelithiasis. Recent innovations seek to minimize invasiveness by reducing the number of ports. This study compares the outcomes of three-port and four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: This prospective comparative study was conducted at Santosh Medical College over 1.5 years, involving 124 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were randomly allocated to either the three-port or four-port group. Outcomes compared included operative time, intraoperative complications, postoperative pain, analgesic requirements, hospital stay, cosmesis, and conversion rates. Results: The three-port group showed significantly shorter mean operative time (65 vs. 104 min, p<0.001), lower analgesic requirements, and shorter hospital stay (mean 1.98 vs. 4.79 days, p<0.001). Both groups had similar complication rates and return-to-activity times. Scar cosmesis, assessed by POSAS, favored the three-port group. Conversion to open surgery occurred only in one patient in the three-port group. Conclusion: Three-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and effective alternative to the conventional four-port technique, offering benefits in operative efficiency, reduced analgesic requirement, and improved cosmetic outcomes without compromising safety.