title: Immediate laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis: no need to wait.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early, within 72 hours, laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for acute chlolecystitis (AC) is the standard of care. We reviewed our experience with immediate (within 24 hours) LC for AC to determine whether this also was safe.
  
  
  METHODS
  Group 1, those patients who had LC for AC within 24 hours was compared with group 2, those who had LC for AC after 24 hours.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 253 consecutive patients, 132 were in group 1 and 121 were in group 2. There were no differences in group 1 versus group 2 in demographics, clinical severity of disease, mean operating time (92 minutes versus 95 minutes, P =.2), conversion (9% versus 6%, P = .3), and complications (7% versus 9%, P = .5). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that the timing of LC for AC was not associated with longer than average operating times.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immediate LC for AC is safe and has become our standard of practice.
authors.affiliation: University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Trauma/Critical Care, Rm 5411, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85724-5063, USA.
authors.forename: Kent A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Layla C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D041881:Cholecystitis, Acute / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome