Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the elderly

Abstract

Purpose: In this retrospective study, we investigated the results of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis in the geriatric patients. Materials and Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstone disease between January 2001 and November 2004 were evaluated. Data analysis included patient age, gender, presence of comorbid conditions, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, clinical presentation, operative time, conversion to open surgery, morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. Results were compared between two groups of patients, that constituted according to their age (group I >/= 65 years, group II <65 years). Results: Two hundred ninety-seven patients consisting of 217 female and 80 male underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy during the study period. Fifty patients (16.8%) were 65 years old or older. Male/female ratio was comparable between the groups. There was no mortality. Although the number of patients with comorbid conditions and ASA scores of II and III were significantly higher in group I (p<0,0001), conversion to an open procedure, operative time and hospital stay length were all similar when compared with group II. Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe procedure for symptomatic cholelithiasis in elderly patients, with low morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it should be considered safe for this age group.