Urgent cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis: laparoscopy or laparotomy?

Early cholecystectomy is the best policy in the case of acute cholecystitis. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the current treatment of choice of acute calculous cholecystitis, as seen in our experience and in the literature data. Between January 1997 and July 2000, 150 patients were operated on for cholecystectomy. In the group of 30 patients (20%) with acute cholecystitis, 15 patients (50%) were managed with laparoscopic approach while 15 patients (50%) with traditional operation. At the beginning the Authors chose the open via for understand the pathologic findings of acute cholecystitis, then they always preferred the laparoscopic approach. Comparison between two groups concerned the interval between onset of symptoms and operation, postoperative mortality and morbidity rates, postoperative hospital stay and follow up. Statistical analysis was performed by the Student's t-test and the chi-square test. Both groups were homogeneous with regard to sex, age and onset of symptoms. There were no deaths and morbidity rate in the laparoscopic group was 20% versus 40% (p = ns). The average postoperative hospital stay in the laparoscopic group was 5.6 days versus 10.5 days (p = 0.046). The conversion rate into laparotomy was 6.6% (1 case). There has been one case of incisional hernia in the open group at a mean follow up of 20 month. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice of acute cholecystitis because of a lower postoperative morbidity rate and a significant shorter hospital stay.