title: [Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the treatment of acute cholecystitis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to demonstrate the importance of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1998 to 2000, 66 patients were submitted to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. All patients were submitted to US scans preoperatively and operated on by surgeon skilled in emergency laparoscopic operative technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only one patient (1.5%) had conversion to open cholecystectomy. There was no mortality and no bile duct or major vascular injuries. The overall operative morbidity rate was 3%. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.1 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Author's experience and results support the validity of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the treatment of acute cholecystitis, since it reduces the postoperative length of hospital stay and hospital costs. Early treatment is always helpful for inflamed and oedematous tissue which favours dissection.
authors: Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale Paride Stefanini, Policlinico Umberto I, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Catani
authors: R
authors: R
authors: De Milito
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Spaziani
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Di Filippo
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Manili
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Capitano
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Simi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000601:surgery*; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome