CONVENTIONAL CHOLECYSTECTOMY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

One hundred and seventy two consecutive patients of 70 years or older undergoing cholecystectomy at laparotomy for gallbladder stone disease during a five-year period in Tampere University Hospital were studied to evaluate the present safety of ''conventional'' cholecystectomy in the elderly. One hundred and six (62 %) underwent emergency or urgent cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis and 66 (33 %) elective cholecystectomy. The mortality was zero per cent in elective operations as compared to 5 % in emergency/urgent operations (P < 0.001). The complication rate was 8 % in elective operations compared to 25 % in emergency/urgent operations (P < 0.001). These results suggest that conventional cholecystectomy is a very safe operation In the elderly, when performed electively. The development of new methods to treat gallbladder stone disease, such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy, must be undertaken from this background.