The Outcome of Early Laparoscopic Surgery to Treat Acute Cholecystitis: a Single-center Experience

Aim: The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the outcome of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in patients with acute cholecystitis.

Materials And Methods: Between July 2005 and December 2012, of 623 patients who had symptoms of acute cholecystitis during the first 72 h of hospital admission and who did not respond to non-operative treatment, 302 underwent surgical treatment. After initial treatment, all patients were followed up for 21 months on average (range: 5-27 months). The clinical, biochemical, radiological, and operative data of the 302 consecutive patients with acute cholecystitis were recorded and analyzed prospectively.

Results: Of the 302 patients who underwent LC for acute cholecystitis, 169 were females and 133 males. Their mean ages were 47.8 years (range: 17-79 years) and 53.3 years (range: 27-90 years) respectively. Conversion to open surgery was required in 32 patients (10.5%). The mean postoperative length of hospital stay was 2 days (range: 1-3 days) in the LC group and 3 days (range: 2-6 days) in the conversion group. Significant differences between the successful LC group and the conversion group were evident terms of the length of postoperative hospitalization and gallbladder wall thickness (P=0.023). Factors associated with conversion were male gender, pericholecystic collection observed via ultrasound, gangrenous cholecystitis, and gallbladder wall thickness >1 cm. We experienced two minor bile duct injury complications that were treated via T tube placement. No mortality occurred. Ten patients suffered infections at the incisional locations, and eight patients developed lung infections.

Conclusion: Early LC is safe in patients with acute cholecystitis. Male gender, pericholecystic collection determined via ultrasound, gangrenous cholecystitis, and gallbladder wall thickness >1 cm are associated with a higher risk of conversion to open surgery.