Validation of a scoring system to predict difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a tertiary hospital in Saudi-Arabia: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To confirm a preoperative scoring system devised by the Modified Randhawa Model. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed in the period between October 2017 to October 2023 on every patients hospitalized for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the Surgery Department, National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A preoperative scoring system, devised using the Modified Randhawa Model, was applied to each patient retrospectively. The preoperative score was compared to the intraoperative degree of difficulty. RESULTS: The history of previous biliary inflammation, the impacted stone, the palpable gall bladder, the more gall bladder wall thickness, the higher body mass index and older ages were significantly associated with more difficult surgeries and more operative time. The preoperative scoring system devised by the Modified Randhawa Model is valid. CONCLUSION: The study found that the Modified Randhawa Model scoring system is valid, effective and reliable predictor of LC difficulty in Saudi Arabia.