Is advanced age a significant risk factor for laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

have been a few reports about the outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in the elderly patients. The aim of this study was to assess if morbidity and mortality may be increased in the geriatric patients because of high incidence of co-morbidity.

From November 2000 to January 2009, 146 patients aged 60 years and older who underwent LC were reviewed. Patients were placed into two groups by ages: Group A (age = 60-74 years, N.=126), Group B (age ≥ 75, N.=20).

One hundred forty six patients underwent LC for benign gallbladder disease during this study period There was no difference in operative time, ASA, distribution of sex between the two groups. Most patients were treated with LC for symptomatic cholelithiasis (82.5%) in both groups. There were sixty eight cases (53.96%) in the Group A and 14 (70%) patients in the Group B had co-morbid diseases (P>0.005). Conversion rates and morbidity was not different significantly according to ages for either group (P>0.05). The rate of conversion to OC was 9.5% in the Group A and 5% in the Group B. Five complications were occurred in the four patients. There was only one bile duct injury in the Group A. Conversion rates and postoperative complications were not affected by gender and co-morbid diseases (P>0.05) in our study whereas acute cholecystitis were found as a risk factor for conversion to open surgery and complications according to the cases preoperatively diagnosis (P=0.001).

LC should be recommended with acceptable morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Morbidity and conversion to OC are not increased with advanced age even in the extremely elderly patients. Acute cholecystitis is correlated with a high risk factor for morbidity and conversion to OC.