J Acute Care Surg.  2020 Mar;10(1):1-4. 10.17479/jacs.2020.10.1.1.

Clinical Safety of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Elderly Patients: A Comparison of Clinical Outcomes in Patients Aged 65 to 79 Years and over 80 Years

• Kim S
• Choi N
• Shin M
• Jung D

• KMID: 2512812
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.17479/jacs.2020.10.1.1

Abstract

Purpose
The safety and efficacy of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in elderly patients is a matter of concern because morbidity and clinical risk are higher in elderly patients; and some clinicians recommend non-surgical supportive treatments. There is limited data reported in the literature for LC in super-elderly individuals (aged ≥ 80 years). This study compared the clinical outcome for the elderly and super-elderly patients undergoing LC.
Methods
Patients who had a cholecystectomy for acute or chronic cholecystitis, and empyema of the gall bladder between January 2011 and June 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical outcomes of the super-elderly patients (≥ 80 years, Group 2) were compared with elderly patients (65-79 years, Group 1). Complications, conversion rate, postoperative hospital stays were assessed.
Results
The conversion rate was 5.5% and 8.4% in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.749). The surgical or medical complication rates were similar in both groups. A significant difference in operation time was observed between groups (p < 0.001). Although the super-elderly patients had longer postoperative hospital stays (7.10 ± 6.98) than the elderly patients (4.60 ± 6.06), there was no significant difference with between the 2 groups (p = 1.000).
Conclusion
The clinical outcomes of the conversion rate, complications, and mortality were similar in patients aged 65 to 79 years and ≥ 80 years. Therefore, LC is deemed to be a safe and simple procedure for the super-elderly.

Keyword

aged; cholecystitis; laparoscopic cholecystectomy