Discovering the excellence of laparoscopy during a cholecystectomy: A lapacholotomy^*1 experience

In 2016, Hiroshi, a member of the HR Organization Human Resource Development Department at Olympus, was diagnosed with gallbladder stones and had to undergo a lapacholotomy (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) to remove his gallbladder. Thanks to the minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, he was able to return to work five days after surgery and is now living a healthy life. We took a trip down memory lane to the period when he underwent surgery.

Sometime in his early 50s, Hiroshi underwent his first abdominal ultrasound examination, which was an optional procedure during an in-house physical examination. Following the procedure, he was diagnosed with suspected gallbladder stones. Hiroshi had always been partial to fatty foods like ramen, and he had high blood lipid and cholesterol levels. On the other hand, he said, "I don't smoke, and I usually drink very little alcohol. I had skipped the abdominal ultrasound examination as, up until then, I had never seen or felt any symptoms, so I assumed everything was fine." His decision to get an abdominal ultrasound examination was made casually on a whim as he figured he might as well give it a try since he was now in his 50s. The surprising results however, indicated a need for closer examination.

As an in-house lecturer for basic medical courses, Hiroshi was fortunate to have some knowledge of laparoscopy. This, he says, helped him to stay positive about his decision to have surgery. He did have one concern though – the potential for unforeseen events that can occur during laparoscopic surgery, such as damage to the cystic artery. While the probability of this happening is generally low, such an occurrence would immediately result in the operation being switched to open surgery. Despite being an optimistic person in general, Hiroshi remembers that he couldn’t help but a little nervous on the day of surgery. However, as he was being pushed into the operating room, he caught a glimpse of the Olympus surgical endoscope, and at that moment felt immediately at ease. "When I saw the company logo, I felt strangely relieved," said Hiroshi.

Olympus has rigorous Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place that are necessary in developing and launching safe and reliable endoscope products. Not only do all product specifications and manufacturing procedures have to adhere to the SOPs, but also all of the information associated with quality and regulatory compliance. "Our development and manufacturing partners adhere strictly to these SOPs to produce endoscopes that are of the highest quality and safety," said Hiroshi, adding that he was also reassured as he knew that the doctor carrying out the surgery was skilled and experienced in endoscopic techniques. "I knew I was in good hands, and I would be fine."

The surgery went off without a hitch. Initially there was some slight pain at the surgical wound site however this quickly turned into nothing more than a sore itch, before dissipating completely. In Hiroshi’s case, he had to undergo hospitalization for four nights and five days including his admission to the hospital the day before surgery. Within one day of surgery, he was able to get out of bed and walk around the hospital. He was discharged on the third day post-operation without any complications. As the day after his discharge was a Sunday, he spent some quiet quality time at home and by the fifth day post-operation, he was able to head to the office as usual. This was a significant as in comparison, open abdominal surgery requires about half a month of hospitalization and up to 3 weeks of bed rest at home following discharge. Hiroshi said the experience showcased the clear advantages of laparoscopic surgery over open abdominal surgery – it is much easier on the body and imposes smaller burdens in terms of hospitalization days and costs, family burden, and impact on company operations.

Hiroshi’s gallstones (they contained water immediately after removal and were about twice the size shown in this photo)