20.
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
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