Surgical outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in elderly patients.

INTRODUCTION: The clinical significance of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for acute cholecystitis in elderly patients aged 80 years or older has not been determined. This study aimed to investigate surgical outcomes of LC for acute cholecystitis in elderly patients compared to non-elderly patients.

METHODS: Patients who underwent urgent LC for acute cholecystitis were enrolled. Older (≥80 years) and younger patients (<80 years) were compared for perioperative factors to assess surgical outcomes of LC.

RESULTS: A total of 351 patients were included; 52 (14.8%) and 299 (85.2%) were categorized as older and younger, respectively. The older group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with concomitant physiological diseases than the younger group and a significantly higher ASA classification. No significant differences between the two groups were found in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, or conversion rate to open surgery. Incidence of postoperative complications and duration of postoperative hospital stay also were not significantly different between the two groups.

CONCLUSION: Surgical outcomes of LC for acute cholecystitis in older patients are comparable to those in younger patients, which confirms the feasibility of LC for acute cholecystitis in elderly patients.