title: [Immediate or interval operation of acute cholecystitis in patients over 70].
abstract: Among 1372 cholecystectomies there were 152 patients suffering from acute cholecystitis. 54 patients were over 70 years of age. On suspecting a free or covered perforation surgery took place immediately (11 patients). In case of rapidly progressing abdominal symptoms during the first 48 hours these patients also underwent surgery (17 patients): 6 patients came to death (mortality rate: 21%). In the beginning 50 patients were treated conservatively without any positive result in more than half of the patients because the inflammation in the stone-filled gallbladder could not be brought to a standstill. 15 patients had a delayed cholecystectomy within the first 3 weeks after the onset of symptoms and 11 patients within the first 3 months. The outcome of these delayed operations was infavourable. Therefore, we recommend the early operation as far as patients over 70 years are concerned.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000601:surgery*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors
vernacular_title: Sofort- oder Intervalloperation der akuten Cholezystitis bei Patienten über 70 Jahre.