[Postoperative mortality in surgery of cholelithiasis: a retrospective analysis from the years 1972-1980]

In a retrospective study (1972-1980) we analyzed the postoperative mortality of 2916 consecutive cholecystectomies or interventions on the common bile ducts respectively. The mean age of the patients was 54 years (17-92 years), 63% were older than 60 years; 74% were women. We show that age, histology, intervention, stone localization, sex and concomitant internal diseases influenced the early postoperative mortality. The overall mortality was 0.7% (21 patients), 0.7% in the under 60 years old patients, 1.8% in the older aged group. The mortality in chronic cholecystitis was 0.5%, in acute cholecystitis 2.6%. After simple cholecystectomy we observed a mortality of 0.3%, after cholecystectomy and common bile duct intervention 2.5% (p less than 0.001), and after intervention on the common bile ducts 7.3%. Stones only in the gallbladder were associated with a mortality of 0.3%, cholecysto- and choledocholithiasis with 2.8% and choledocholithiasis alone with 7.3%. The mortality in men was significantly (p less than 0.001) higher as in women (1.2 against 0.6%). In 76% of the deceased we diagnosed preoperatively a concomitant internal disease.