Background: Operative notes are an important medical record that give a detailed account of surgical procedures. They are indispensable tools for patient care continuity, legal documentation, and quality improvement. Despite their importance, operative notes are often incomplete or illegible when handwritten. In laparoscopic cholecystectomy-one of the most common surgical procedures-inefficient documentation can compromise patient safety and pose medico-legal challenges. This audit sought to assess the quality of handwritten operative notes for laparoscopic cholecystectomy by comparing them against the RCS Good Surgical Practice Guidelines. Methods: A retrospective audit was carried out in the Department of Surgery at a teaching hospital over six months. A sample of 300 operative notes for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy was randomly selected. Each note was assessed for presence or absence of specific documentation parameters recommended by the RCS. Data was analyzed using SPSS (version 21.0) and presented as percentages. Results: Key findings revealed that the time of surgery was recorded in only 16% of notes, while assistants’ names and anesthetists’ names were documented in 94% and 66% of cases, respectively. Operative findings were present in 86% of notes. Notably, essential details like complications (37%), closure techniques (47%), and estimated blood loss (33%) were frequently missing. DVT prophylaxis was recorded in only 27% of cases, underscoring a gap in adherence to standard recommendations. Conclusion: The audit highlights significant deficiencies in the completeness of operative notes for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Poor compliance with RCS guidelines exposes patients to potential risks and compromises medico-legal safeguards. Implementing digital documentation systems, standardized templates, regular audits, and consultant verification could substantially improve the accuracy and reliability of these critical records.