Acute Cholecystitis is an Indication for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Prospective Study

Objective:

Acute cholecystitis has been considered as a relative or absolute contraindication to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The purpose of this study is to present our experience of laparoscopic cholecystectomy as a safe and effective treatment of acute cholecystitis.

Methods:

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was offered to 34 consecutive patients with acute calculous cholecystitis, diagnosed according to strict clinical and ultrasonographic criteria. We used only three trocars. The gallbladder was routinely aspirated and sharp graspers were used. We adopted the fundus-first method of dissection when safe identification of the Calot'' s triangle was difficult. The cystic duct was ligated whenever necessary.

Results:

The procedure was completed in 31 patients. The mean length of the laparoscopic procedure was 43 minutes, their mean hospital stay was 2.8 days. For the open group the mean length of the operative procedure was 66 minutes, while the mean hospital stay was 5.3 days. The overall morbidity rate was low.

Conclusions:

The benefits of laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be safely extended to patients with acute cholecystitis. The operation must be done early in the course of the disease. The surgeon should have adequate laparoscopic experience and maintain a low threshold for conversion to open exploration. Modifications in technique should be adopted to achieve a successful outcome.     

腹腔镜胆囊切除术治疗老年急性胆囊炎的临床分析

目的:探讨为老年急性胆囊炎患者行腹腔镜胆囊切除术(laparoscopic cholecystectomy,LC)的可行性及临床效果。方法:回顾分析为40例老年急性胆囊炎患者行LC的临床资料,总结手术成功率。结果:36例(90%)成功施行LC,4例(10%)中转开腹;手术时间平均(75±10.56)min,平均住院(5.7±1.81)d,患者均痊愈出院。结论:LC是治疗老年急性胆囊炎患者较成熟的术式之一,手术治疗应遵循个体化原则,视患者具体情况决定。     

Evaluation of fundus-first laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard for gallbladder surgery. Cholecystectomy from the fundus to the cystic duct may be advantageous when cystic duct exposure becomes difficult due to adhesions on Calot's triangle. The aim of this study was to compare conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy with the fundus-first procedure and to evaluate whether the fundus-first technique can prevent conversion in difficult cases. METHODS: The study included 145 patients treated over 18 months. The inclusion criterion was the presence of ultrasound proven gallstones. Patients were excluded from the study if there was evidence of common bile duct stones, a bilioenteric fistula, or carcinoma of the gallbladder. RESULTS: The fundus-first approach was started in 45 patients; all procedures were completed laparoscopically. Conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy was begun in 100 patients. Twenty-seven of the 100 patients were converted to fundus dissection (adhesions within Calot's triangle). Four of the 27 were further converted to open surgery. One patient had a drop in blood pressure on creation of pneumoperitoneum. Time taken for severely inflammatory and noninflammatory cases was significantly greater (P<0.05) in the fundus-first group. The average hospital stay was 48 hours in both groups. No major complications were observed. CONCLUSION: The rate of conversion in the conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy group decreased from 18.75% (27/144) to 2.08% (3/144). The fundus-first technique has the potential to decrease conversion in difficult cases.     

Gangrenous cholecystitis in the decade before and after the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Gangrenous cholecystitis is a severe form of acute cholecystitis with high morbidity. This study investigate the outcomes for patients undergoing cholecystectomy for gangrenous cholecystitis in the decade before and after the introduction of laparoscopic technology at our institution. METHODS: From 1982 to 2002, all patients undergoing cholecystectomy for gangrenous cholecystitis were prospectively entered into a database. Demographic data, method of surgery, and outcome variables were assessed and compared over time. RESULTS: Cholecystectomy was performed to treat gangrenous cholecystitis in 238 patients (mean age, 54 years). From 1982 to 1992, 98 patients underwent cholecystectomy for gangrenous cholecystitis, and from 1992 to 2002, 140 patients underwent the procedure. Ninety-seven patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and 33 patients (34%) required conversion. The open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy group differed in the number of intensive care unit admissions (13% vs. 5%, P < 0.05), overall length of hospital stay (10 vs. 5.7 days, P < 0.001) and rate of intraabdominal abscesses (8% vs. 0.7%). CONCLUSION: Gangrenous cholecystitis remains a disease with high morbidity. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy shortened hospital stay and can be offered without increasing morbidity. Methods to decrease intraabdominal abscess formation in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gangrenous cholecystitis are needed.     

急性结石性胆囊炎腹腔镜手术时机及中转开腹影响因素的探讨

目的探讨腹腔镜手术治疗急性结石性胆囊炎的最佳时机以及影响中转开腹的因素。方法对468例行腹腔镜胆囊切除术的急性结石性胆囊炎病人的临床资料进行回顾性分析。将468例病人分为A（症状发作48h内手术）、B（48～72h内手术）、C（72h后手术）、D（保守治疗后再择期手术）4组。结果A、B、C、D4组的术后并发症发生率分别为3．48％（5／146）、3．69％（5／137）、5．88％（6／102）和3．17％（2／63），各组间术后并发症发生率并无显著性差异（P均〉0．05）；C组的手术时间较其他3组明显延长（P〈0．05），且手术中转率也显著高于其他各组（P〈0．05）；A组的手术时间较其他组短，开腹中转率也较其他组低（P〈0．05）；单因素分析结果显示体温、右上腹肌紧张、胆囊肿大、白细胞计数、胆囊壁厚度、胆囊颈部结石嵌顿、手术时机7个因素与中转开腹率显著相关（P〈0．05）。多因素回归分析显示白细胞计数和手术时机是影响腹腔镜中转开腹率的独立危险因素。结论急性结石性胆囊炎症状发作后48h内是腹腔镜手术的最佳时机，白细胞计数和手术时机是影响腹腔镜中转开腹率的独立危险因素。     

Laparoscopic cholecystostomy with delayed cholecystectomy as an alternative to conversion to open procedure

Background: Acute cholecystitis carries the highest incidence of conversion from planned laparoscopic cholecystectomy to open surgery due to unclear anatomy, excessive bleeding, complications, or other technical reasons. Methods: Laparoscopic tube cholecystostomy was performed instead of immediate conversion to laparotomy in 9 patients with acute cholecystitis after unsuccessful attempts at laparoscopic dissection. Elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy was done 3 months later. Results: Following this approach eight patients were treated successfully. After 3 months the acute process had subsided sufficiently to allow a safe laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One additional patient died of acute leukemia 6 weeks after cholecystostomy. Before adopting this technique we subjected 171 patients with acute calculous cholecystitis to laparoscopic cholecystectomy; there was an 11% (19 cases) rate of conversion. Since cholecystostomy has begun to be offered as an alternative to conversion, 121 patients with acute cholecystitis have had laparoscopic cholecystectomy and only 2 cases (1.5%) have been converted to immediate open cholecystectomy. Conclusions: We recommend the alternative of performing a cholecystostomy with delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy instead of conversion to open procedure when facing a case of acute cholecystitis not amenable to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.     

Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis

Background: The timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis remains controversial. Methods: One hundred ninety-four patients with acute cholecystitis were reviewed. The conversion rates for the various number of days of symptoms before surgery were analyzed. The conversion rate dramatically increased from 3.6% for those patients with 4 days of symptoms to 26% for those patients with 5 days of symptoms. The mean number of days of symptoms prior to surgery in those patients who underwent successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 4.1 as compared to 8.0 in those patients who required open cholecystectomy (p < 0.0001). Based on this data the patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 109 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy within 4 days of onset of symptoms and group 2 consisted of 85 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy after more than 4 days following onset of symptoms. Results: The conversion rate from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy was 15%. The conversion rate for group 1 was 1.8% as compared to 31.7% for group 2 (p < 0.0001). Indications for conversion were inability to identify the anatomy secondary to inflammatory adhesions (68%), cholecystoduodenal fistula (18%), and bleeding (14%). The major complication rate for group 1 was 2.7% as compared to 13% for group 2 (p= 0.007). The mortality rate for all patients with attempted laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis was 1.5%. The average procedure time for group 1 was 100 ± 37 min vs 120 ± 55 min in group 2. The average number of postoperative hospital days in group 1 was 5.5 ± 2.7 days as compared to 10.8 ± 2.7 days in group 2. Conclusions: We advocate early laparoscopic cholecystectomy within 4 days of onset of symptoms to decrease major complications and conversion rates. This decreased conversion rate results in decreased length of procedure and hospital stay. Received: 28 March 1996/Accepted: 12 September 1996     

Urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the management of acute cholecystitis: timing does not influence conversion rate

Background The optimal treatment of acute cholecystitis is urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Most reports suggest that a delay of 72 or 96 h from onset of symptoms leads to a higher conversion rate. This study assessed the conversion rate in relation to the timing of urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. Methods During a 12 month period, 112 patients received laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis at a tertiary care university hospital in central Taiwan. Data were collected prospectively. Results The overall conversion rate was 3.6% (4/112). Of 62 procedures performed within 72 h from onset of symptoms, 2 were converted, as compared with 2 of 50 procedures after 72 h. Of 76 procedures performed within 96 h from onset of symptoms, 3 were converted, as compared with 1 of 36 procedures after 96 h. There were no mortalities or common bile duct injuries. Conclusions The conversion rate for urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy among patients with acute cholecystitis can be as low as 3.6%. The timing of urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy has no impact on the conversion rate.     

Factors associated with successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis.

OBJECTIVE: This article determined which preoperative data correlated with successful completion of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with acute cholecystitis. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the procedure of choice in chronic cholecystitis, its use in acute cholecystitis may be associated with higher costs and complication rates. It is not known which patients with acute cholecystitis are likely to require conversion to open cholecystectomy based on preoperative data or if a cooling-off period with medical therapy can diminish inflammation and increase the chance of successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: All laparoscopic cholecystectomies done by the authors between 10/90 and 2/92 were reviewed. Data on cases of acute cholecystitis were prospectively collected on standardized data forms. RESULTS: Twenty of 281 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were done for acute cholecystitis; 7/20 patients with acute cholecystitis required conversion to open cholecystectomy compared with 6/281 patients undergoing elective operation for chronic cholecystitis. In patients with acute cholecystitis the interval from admission to cholecystectomy in the successful cases was 0.6 days vs. 5 days in the cases requiring conversion to open cholecystectomy (p = .01). Cases requiring conversion to open cholecystectomy also had higher WBC (14.0 vs. 9.0, p < .05), alkaline phosphatase (206 vs. 81, p < .02, and APACHE II scores (10.6 vs. 5.1, p < .05). Ultrasonographic findings such as gallbladder distention, wall thickness, and pericholecystic fluid did not correlate with the success of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients converted from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy required more operating room time (120 min vs. 87 min, p < .01) and more postop hospital days (6 vs. 2, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis should be done immediately after the diagnosis is established because delaying surgery allows inflammation to become more intense, thus increasing the technical difficulty of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.     

Laparoscopic surgery for acute cholecystitis in the elderly. Our experience

Acute cholecystitis in the elderly is a severe illness with high operative risks and mortality, which, even if less than in the past, is still too high. The surgical approach has significantly changed over the past 10 years: conservative therapy in the early 1990's was considered the only sure approach, while the laparoscopic surgical approach is recommended today for the emergency treatment of acute cholecystitis, also in the elderly. The aim of this retrospective study was to define the safety and effectiveness of early surgery for acute cholecystitis with the laparoscopic approach in the elderly. From September 2002 to September 2006, 287 patients were admitted to our unit for cholelithiasis, including 135 for acute cholecystitis. The patients with acute illness and age > 70 yrs numbered 73. After immediate monitoring of vital parameters and a brief diagnostic and therapeutic interval to restore the patient's general condition in intensive care (fasting, SNG, antibiotics, parenteral fluid therapy and analgesic drugs) all patients underwent emergency surgery within 24-96 hours. Fifty-nine (80.8%) underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, whereas the remaining 14 (19.2%) underwent open cholecystectomy due to their high-risk for cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic status (ASA III-IV). In group 1 treated laparoscopically, morbidity was 11.9% versus 35.7% in group 2 treated with open cholecystectomy (p < 0.001). Mortality was 0 in group 1; and 7% (1 patient) in group 2 (p < 0.05). The median hospital stay was 3.87 (2-9) days in group 1 vs 10.5 (8-29) days in group 2 (p < 0.001). The results of our study confirm the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in expert hands in the management of acute cholecystitis in elderly patients. This choice allowed a statistically significant reduction in morbidity and overall hospital stay. Nevertheless, open cholecystectomy remains a valuable procedure for high-risk elderly patients undergoing emergency surgery. Poor outcome is related to the almost constant presence of comorbidity in the elderly = ASA score (ASA II vs. IV: p < 0.001) and independent of the type of surgical intervention (laparoscopic cholecystectomy vs open cholecystecotmy: p = n.s.). Early cholecystectomy in case of symptomatic cholelithiasis, before infectious complications set in, could partly reduce the poor prognosis in the elderly.     

Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute gangrenous cholecystitis

Treatment of severe acute cholecystitis by laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains controversial because of technical difficulties and high rates of complications and conversion to open cholecystectomy. We investigated whether early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is appropriate for acute gangrenous cholecystitis. Pathologic diagnoses and outcomes were analyzed in patients who underwent laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy at our hospital, January 2002 to September 2005. Of 30 patients with acute gangrenous cholecystitis, 16 underwent early laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 10 underwent open cholecystectomy, and 4 were converted to open cholecystectomy (conversion rate, 20.0%). There was no significant difference in operation time or intraoperative bleeding. The requirement for postoperative analgesics was significantly lower (6.4+/-7.3 vs. 1.5+/-1.2 doses, P<0.05) and hospital stay significantly shorter (8.6+/-2.1 vs. 15.6+/-6.3 d, P<0.01) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There were no postoperative complications in either group. Thus, early laparoscopic cholecystectomy seems appropriate for acute gangrenous cholecystitis. Conversion to open cholecystectomy may be required in difficult cases with complications.     

How early is early laparoscopic treatment of acute cholecystitis?

BACKGROUND: Despite the well-accepted success of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in elective treatment of symptomatic cholelithiasis, the efficacy and timing of this technique has been subject to some debate in the setting of acute cholecystitis. This study was undertaken to evaluate our institution's experience with early cholecystectomy as a safe, effective treatment of acute cholecystitis. METHODS: Charts of all patients who had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the length of time from onset of symptoms to surgical intervention: less than 48 hours in the early group (n = 14) and more than 48 hours in the late group (n = 31). RESULTS: Comparing the two groups, the conversion rate to an open procedure was significantly less (0 versus 29%, P <0.04) in the early treated patients. Furthermore, the operative time (73 versus 96 minutes, P <0.004), postoperative hospitalization (1.2 versus 3.9 days, P <0.001), and total hospital stay (2.1 versus 5.4 days, P <0.004) were significantly reduced in patients undergoing early laparoscopic cholecystectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed by experienced surgeons is a safe, effective technique for treatment of acute cholecystitis. Patients treated within 48 hours of onset of symptoms experience a lower conversion rate to an open procedure, shorter operative time and reduced hospitalization.     

Early surgical treatment of acute cholecystitis. A retrospective comparative study of the laparoscopic and open approaches

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the results of laparoscopic and open early cholecystectomy in patients with acute cholecystitis. From January 1997 to October 2000, 168 patients underwent cholecystectomy in our institution. Of the 35 patients (20.8%) with acute cholecystitis, 20 patients (57.1%) were operated on laparoscopically and the other 15 patients (42.9%) with the traditional open approach. The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex and onset of symptoms. The postoperative morbidity was 15.0% in the laparoscopic group versus 40.0% in the open group. The average postoperative hospital stay in the laparoscopic group was 5.1 days as compared to 10.5 days in the open group (P = 0.013). The conversion rate to laparotomy was 5.0% (1 case). At follow-up there has been one case of incisional hernia in the open group. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis was associated with a lower postoperative morbidity rate and significantly earlier patient discharge.     

The efficacy of laparoscopy in acute cholecystitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis and establish the outcomes of this treatment modality at North Oakland Medical Centers. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis over a three-year period (January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1996), performed at a University-affiliated urban teaching hospital, North Oakland Medical Centers, Pontiac, Michigan. Five hundred and fifty-seven patients underwent surgical treatment for gallbladder disease; 88 patients had acute cholecystitis, and 469 patients had chronic cholecystitis. Acute cholecystitis patients underwent surgery within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms; the patient's selection for laparoscopic cholecystectomy or open cholecystectomy depended on severity of disease, co-morbid factors and surgeon's preference. The parameters of age, gender, operating (OR) time, length of stay, complications, conversion rates from laparoscopic cholecystectomy to open cholecystectomy, and cost were compared in patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and/or open cholecystectomy. RESULTS: Patients chosen to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis tended to be younger females. Patients treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis had shorter OR times and LOS compared to patients treated with open cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. Conversion rates (CR) were 22% in acute cholecystitis and 5.5% in chronic cholecystitis during the study period; CR diminished considerably between the first and third year. Complications were also lower in patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy vs. open cholecystectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy appears to be a reliable, safe, and cost-effective treatment modality for acute cholecystitis; however, the surgical approach should be cautionary because of the spectrum of potential technical hazards. CR is improving as surgeons gain experience.     

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the transplant population

Background: The results of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a group of transplant recipients were reviewed to determine the safety and efficacy of the procedure in the setting of immunosuppression. Methods: All solid-organ-transplant recipients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy over a 3-year period were reviewed. Indication for operation, conversion to open procedure, length of stay, and complications were characterized. These results were compared to the registry data of all laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed at the same institution. Results: There were 26 transplant patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy including renal, heart, double lung, and heart-lung recipients. The mean age was 47 years. Symptomatic cholelithiasis was the most common indication in 73% of patients followed by acute cholecystitis in 11%. Seven patients (27%) underwent conversion to an open procedure. Three patients (11.5%) experienced a minor complication in hospital. Median length of stay was 2.5 days. One patient died during a subsequent unrelated operation. These results compared favorably to the registry experience at the same institution where the mean age was 49 years, 24% of cases were performed for acute cholecystitis, there was a 10% complication rate, median length of stay was 2 days, and 3 deaths occurred in hospital. The only statistically significant difference was a lower conversion rate (11% vs 27%) in the registry vs transplant group. Conclusions: This experience confirms that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is as safe in the transplant population as the general population. Despite a slightly higher conversion rate to an open procedure, the advantages of short hospital stay, low morbidity, and early return to preoperative routines remain equivalent.Presented as a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), Orlando, Florida, USA, 11–14 March 1995     

Total gastrectomy. Updated operative mortality and long-term survival with particular reference to patients older than 70 years of age.

OBJECTIVE: The current study compared the results of early versus delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy for treatment of acute cholecystitis. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Although recent reports have suggested the use of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis, the complication and conversion rates remain high. No data are available on whether initial medical treatment can improve the results. METHOD: Among 497 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 52 (10.5%) had a clinical diagnosis of acute cholecystitis confirmed by ultrasonography. Twenty-seven of these patients had early surgery, that is, within 120 hours of admission, and 25 had interval cholecystectomy after initial medical treatment. RESULTS: The early group required modifications in operative technique more frequently (p < 0.001). The conversion rate (7.4%) and minor complication rate (22%) were comparable. Successful early laparoscopic cholecystectomy required a longer operative time (137.2 minutes vs. 98.0 minutes; p < 0.05) and postoperative hospital stay (4.6 days vs. 2.5 days; p < 0.005) but reduced the total hospital stay (6.4 days vs. 12.4 days; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the treatment of acute cholecystitis has no adverse effect on complication and conversion rates. Although it is technically demanding and time consuming, this procedure provides the economic advantage of a markedly reduced total hospital stay.     

Cholecystitis in the octogenarian: is laparoscopic cholecystectomy the best approach?

Management of biliary disease in the octogenarian has evolved over the last decade. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now more commonly performed in this patient population. Octogenarians with biliary pathology frequently present with complications of acute disease such as biliary pancreatitis, choledocholithiasis, and acute cholecystitis. As a result, laparoscopic management in this patient population can frequently be more challenging than in younger patients. We retrospectively reviewed 70 patients who were 80 years of age and older who underwent cholecystectomy at our institution for biliary tract disease. Seventeen patients presented to the Day Surgery unit for elective management of chronic biliary disease. Sixteen (94%) of these patients were attempted laparoscopically and one (6%) underwent open cholecystectomy. Two patients attempted laparoscopically were converted to open surgery (conversion rate 12.5%). Average length of hospital stay was 3.7 days for those treated laparoscopically and 11 days for patients treated with open cholecystectomy. There were three complications (19%) in this group and no deaths. The remaining 53 patients presented via the emergency room with acute complications of cholelithiasis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted in 28 (52%) and open cholecystectomy was performed in 25 (48%) patients. Ten (37%) of the patients attempted laparoscopically were converted to an open procedure. Average length of stay in this group was 11.7 days for those treated laparoscopically and 15.7 days for patients managed with open technique. There were ten (56%) complications in the laparoscopic group and five (14%) complications in the open group. There were four deaths (22%) among those treated laparoscopically and three deaths (8.6%) in the open cholecystectomy group. Comorbid conditions were common in the patients with acute biliary pathology and those presenting for elective cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the procedure of choice in the elective management of biliary tract disease in the octogenarian. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has no benefit with respect to morbidity and mortality over open cholecystectomy in the management of acute biliary tract disease in this elderly population. When possible, chronic cholecystitis in the elderly should be managed with elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy rather than waiting for complications to develop.     

Percutaneous transhepatic cholecystostomy and delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy in critically ill patients with acute calculus cholecystitis

BACKGROUND: The ultimate therapy for acute cholecystitis is cholecystectomy. However, in critically ill elderly patients the mortality of emergency cholecystectomy may reach up to 30%. Open cholecystostomy performed under local anesthesia was considered to be the procedure of choice for treatment of acute cholecystitis in high-risk patients. In recent years, ultrasound- or computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous transhepatic cholecystostomy (PTHC) replaced open cholecystostomy for the treatment of acute cholecystitis in critically ill patients. METHODS: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the results of a 5-year protocol using PTHC followed by delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the treatment of acute cholecystitis in critically ill patients. We reviewed the charts of 55 patients who underwent PTHC at the Hadassah University Hospital Mount Scopus during the years 1994 to 1999. RESULTS: The main indications for PTHC among this group of severely sick and high-risk patients was biliary sepsis and septic shock in 23 patients (42%); and severe comorbidities in 32 patients (58%). The median age was 74 (32 to 98) years, 33 were female and 22 male. Successful biliary drainage by PTHC was achieved in 54 of 55 (98%) of the patients. The majority of the patients (31 of 55) were drained transhepaticlly under CT guidance. The rest, (24 of 55) were drained using ultrasound guidance followed by cholecystography for verification. Complications included hepatic bleeding that required surgical intervention in 1 patient and dislodgment of the catheter in 9 patients that was reinserted in 2 patients. Three patients died of multisystem organ failure 12 to 50 days following the procedure. The remaining 52 patients recovered well with a mean hospital stay of 15.5 plus minus 11.4 days. Thirty-one patients were able to undergo delayed surgery: 28 underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy of whom 4 (14%) were converted to open cholecystectomy. This was compared with a 1.9% conversion rate in 1,498 elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed at the same time period (P = 0.012). Another 3 patients underwent planned open cholecystectomy, 1 urgent and 2 combined with other abdominal procedures. There was no surgery associated mortality, severe morbidity, or bile duct injury. CONCLUSIONS: The use of PTHC in critically ill patients with acute cholecystitis is both safe and effective.     

老年人急性胆囊炎的腹腔镜手术治疗

目的:探讨腹腔镜手术治疗方法在老年人急性胆囊炎的临床疗效和安全性。方法:将2006年1月—2012年5月138例急性胆囊炎老年患者随机分成两组,分别行腹腔镜胆囊切除术(腔镜组,70例)和剖腹胆囊切除术(开腹组,68例),对比两组患者手术时间、肠功能恢复时间、住院时间、术后并发症。结果:腔镜组手术时间、肠功能恢复时间以及住院时间均短于开腹组(均P<0.05),两组术中出血量差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),腔镜组术后并发症明显少于开腹组(P<0.05)。结论:腹腔镜手术治疗方法在老年人急性胆囊炎中具有理想疗效,手术时机的选择与操作的熟练程度是治疗成功的关键。     

Open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: indications and results in fifty-three patients

BACKGROUND: Although acute cholecystitis is one of the most common indications for abdominal surgery in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), previous studies have reported disappointingly high morbidity and mortality among those patients who have undergone cholecystectomy. The aims of this study were to analyze the indications for and the outcome of cholecystectomy performed for acute cholecystitis in patients with AIDS. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the hospital charts of 53 patients with AIDS who underwent open or laparoscopic cholecystectomy from 1992 to 1997. Statistical analysis using the chi-square, Student's t, and Fisher exact tests was conducted to determine whether cause of cholecystitis, type of surgical approach, and CD4+ T-lymphocyte count influenced outcome. RESULTS: The clinical findings and imaging by ultrasonography were always reliable in establishing diagnosis and guiding treatment of acute cholecystitis. Open cholecystectomy was performed in 24 patients (45%). The procedure was begun laparoscopically in 29 patients (55%) and converted to open in 4 (14%). The pathologic findings showed acalculous cholecystitis in 19 patients (36%) and cholelithiasis in 32 (60%). Morbidity was 34% and mortality was 2%. Type of operative approach, cause of cholecystitis, and CD4+ T-lymphocyte count (greater or less than 50 cells/mm3) did not significantly affect morbidity and mortality. The length of hospital stay was significantly influenced by the CD4+ T-lymphocyte count. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that in most patients with AIDS, laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy may be performed with significant but acceptable morbidity and low mortality.