A clinical study of elderly patients with acute cholecystitis

In recent years, an increase in average life expectancy has led to a rapid rise in the number of elderly patients undergoing surgery for acute cholecystitis. We studied the clinical characteristics of elderly patients (aged 75 years of more) undergoing surgery for acute cholecystitis, as compared with those of non-elderly patients (aged less than 75 years) undergoing similar procedures. Twenty-four of the patients were elderly, and 44 were non-elderly.

Echography and abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed no characteristic findings specific to elderly patients, but a smaller proportion of elderly patients showed a three-layered structure of the gallbladder wall. The leukocyte count on admission was significantly lower in elderly patients than in non-elderly patients. As for therapy, a significantly higher proportion of elderly patients underwent percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) + cholecystectomy + choledochotomy/choledocholithotomy, as compared with non-elderly patients. In contrast, cholecystectomy alone was performed more frequently in non-elderly patients than in elderly patients. The main postoperative complications were psychic symptoms and respiratory tract infections. The postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer for elderly patients, in part because they requested to remain in the hospital until they were able to perform activities of daily living.