The GECKO Study (GlobalSurg-4) will be an international observational cohort study. The GlobalSurg Network collaborators will come together to collect contemporaneous data on the performance and outcomes of cholecystectomy. 

  • Cholecystectomy is amongst the commonest surgical procedures performed, treating patients for biliary pathologies such as biliary cholic and gallstone pancreatitis, in emergencies and elective admissions
  • Laparoscopy has evolved biliary surgery across the world. Despite mitigating the perioperative mortality burden of open surgery, laparoscopy imposes different burdens on the healthcare system, such as readmissions and operative complications.
  • Hence, there is a focus to improve patient satisfaction and reduce hospital costs
  • However, establishing universally safe cholecystectomy is a complex process, dependent on multiple factors such as adequate training, hospital infrastructure and enhanced peri-operative patient care
  • The Global Evaluation of Cholecystectomy Knowledge and Outcomes (GECKO) Study, aims to fill the gap in evidence on the variations of safe provision of laparoscopic gallbladder surgery internationally, including low- and middle-income countries

The primary aim is to define the global variation in compliance to pre-, intra-, and post-operative audit standards.

The secondary aims are to:

  • Determine quality of safe provision of cholecystectomy
  • Assess adverse events following cholecystectomy and their management
  • Analyse rates and outcomes of unsuspected gallbladder cancers
  • Evaluate the availability of cholecystectomy services and training
  • Assess sustainable practice in laparoscopic cholecystectomy
  • GECKO is a prospective, international, observational collaborative cohort study
  • Disseminated via contacts from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Surgery unit, leading emergency general surgeons and specialist organisations
  • Consecutive patients undergoing cholecystectomy, between 31st July – 19th November 2023, with follow-up at 30-day and one-year postoperatively
  • Age: All adult patients (greater than or including 18 years of age)
  • Procedure: Primary cholecystectomy, where this is the main procedure planned
  • Approach: Any Open, laparoscopic, robotic approaches are eligible
  • Urgency: Elective, delayed and emergency procedures
  • Procedure: Cholecystectomy as a part of another surgical procedure e.g., Whipple’s, bariatric, anti-reflux, transplant
  • Indication: Patients with Mirizzi syndrome
  • Return to theatre: Any patient returning to theatre and requiring a cholecystectomy for whatever indication, should not be included
  • Known gallbladder malignancy: Gallbladder cancer diagnosed pre-operatively

For the Study Protocol, please click here

For the Site Survey, click here

For the Data Dictionary, click here

For the Case Report Form (CRF), click here

For the Visual Abstract, click here

For the Participant Consent Form, click here

For the Participant Information Sheet, click here

For the REDCap Guide, click here

For the REDCap Guide for Data Collection, click here

For the HRA Audit Statement, click here

For the signed Caldicott approval doc, click here

For the CARMS Accepted Study doc, click here

For the GlobalSurg 4 Data Contributor Terms and Conditions, click here

GECKO Hospital Lead Pack, click here

For the Study Leads FAQ, click here

For all GECKO video related content, including recordings from previous webinars, click here.

Twitter page, click here

Translation and Country Specific Documents

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Arabic, click here.

For the GECK Consent Form in Arabic, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Azerbaijan, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Consent Form in Azerbaijan, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Chinese, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Consent Form in Chinese, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet & Consent Form in Croatian, click here.

For the GECKO Protocol in Croatian, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in French, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in French, click here.

For the GECKO Protocol in French, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Greek, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Greek, click here.

For the GECKO IRB Approval, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in German, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in German, click here.

For the GECKO Protocol in German, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Bengali, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Bengali, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Hindi, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Hindi, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Kannada, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Kannada, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Malayalam, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Malayalam, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Marathi, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Marathi, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Oriya, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Oriya, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Punjabi, click here

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Punjabi, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Tamil, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Tamil, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Telugu, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Telugu, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Urdu, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Information Sheet in Urdu, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Indonesian, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Indonesian, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Japanese, click here.

For the GECK Protocol in Japanese, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Norwegian, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Norwegian, click here.

For the GECKO DTA Signed Pakistan, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Filipino, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Filipino, click here.

Para o GECKO Consentimento Informado, clique aqui.

Para o GECKO Modelo de Carta para CE, clique aqui.

Para o GECKO Protocolo PT, clique aqui.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Spanish, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Spanish, click here.

For the GECKO Protocol in Spanish, click here.

For the GECKO Presentation in Spanish, click here.

For the GECKO CRF in Spanish, click here.

For the GECKO HOJA Información in Spanish, click here.

For the GECKO Particpant Consent Form in Spanish, click here.

For the GECKO Patient Consent Form in Turkish, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Turkish, click here.

For the GECKO Protocol in Turkish, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Vietnamese, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Consent Form in Vietnamese, click here.

For the GECKO Protocol in Vietnamese, click here.

For the GECKO CRF in Vietnamese, click here.

For the GECKO Data Dictionary in Vietnamese, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Information Sheet in Russian, click here.

For the GECKO Participant Consent Form in Russian, click here.

For the GECKO Protocol in Russian, click here.

Ethical Approvals by Country

For the GECKO Ethical Approval for Australia, click here.

For the GECKO Ethical Approval for Dominican Republic, click here.

For the GECKO Ethical Approval for France, click here.

For the Ethical Approval for Ghana, click here.

For the GECKO Ethical Approval for Kazakhstan, click here.

For the GECKO Ethical Approval for Nigeria, click here.

For the GECKO Ethical Approval for Spain, click here.

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