title: Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis remains controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred ninety-four patients with acute cholecystitis were reviewed. The conversion rates for the various number of days of symptoms before surgery were analyzed. The conversion rate dramatically increased from 3.6% for those patients with 4 days of symptoms to 26% for those patients with 5 days of symptoms. The mean number of days of symptoms prior to surgery in those patients who underwent successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 4.1 as compared to 8.0 in those patients who required open cholecystectomy (p < 0.0001). Based on this data the patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 109 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy within 4 days of onset of symptoms and group 2 consisted of 85 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy after more than 4 days following onset of symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The conversion rate from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy was 15%. The conversion rate for group 1 was 1.8% as compared to 31.7% for group 2 (p < 0.0001). Indications for conversion were inability to identify the anatomy secondary to inflammatory adhesions (68%), cholecystoduodenal fistula (18%), and bleeding (14%). The major complication rate for group 1 was 2.7% as compared to 13% for group 2 (p = 0.007). The mortality rate for all patients with attempted laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis was 1.5%. The average procedure time for group 1 was 100 +/- 37 min vs 120 +/- 55 min in group 2. The average number of postoperative hospital days in group 1 was 5.5 +/- 2.7 days as compared to 10.8 +/- 2.7 days in group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We advocate early laparoscopic cholecystectomy within 4 days of onset of symptoms to decrease major complications and conversion rates. This decreased conversion rate results in decreased length of procedure and hospital stay.
authors.affiliation: Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY 11042, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Garber
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Korman
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cosgrove
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors