Efficacy and safety of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in elderly: a case-controlled comparison with the open approach.

BACKGROUND:Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery is the method of choice for the surgical treatment of gallbladder disease. However, surgery of the biliary tract in the elderly is often associated with high morbidity and mortality. PATIENTS AND METHOD:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the elderly with symptomatic, uncomplicated gallbladder disease, we retrospectively compared the records of 24 consecutive patients over 70 years of age with symptomatic uncomplicated gallbladder disease, who underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with a similar cohort of patients who underwent elective open cholecystectomy for the same indications. RESULTS:In the laparoscopic group we found a significantly low incidence of postoperative complications, low analgesics and antibiotics administration, rapid recovery, short length of stay and considerable cost savings. CONCLUSION:We conclude that elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in elderly with uncomplicated gallbladder disease is safe and effective and we suggest that it may become the surgical procedure of choice.