[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients aged 80 and over]

The increasing aging of the population also increases the prevalence of symptomatic gallbladder diseases. It is important to analyse their surgical treatment in the elderly.

All the laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed in our surgery department on patients aged 80 years-old or over from 1992 to 2007 were included in this study.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed on 133 patients 80 years-old and over, with 63% of them women, and an average age of 83.23 years. Biliary colic (29%) and acute pancreatitis (44%) were the main reasons for surgery. Associated diseases were found in 73% of them. Only 7.5% needed urgent surgery, even although 71% were admitted urgently. There were 13.5% conversions to open surgery, 17% morbidity and 2.3% mortality.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be recommended in symptomatic gallbladder disease in the elderly.