title: Can percutaneous cholecystostomy be a definitive management for acute cholecystitis in high-risk patients?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy, long-term outcome, and safety of percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) in high-risk surgical patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective descriptive review of the medical records of 36 patients who underwent PC for acute cholecystitis (AC) at a single institution between 2000 and 2011. Primary outcomes were overall morbidity, mortality, and need for interval cholecystectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PC was initially successful, and symptoms disappeared within 3 days in all patients. Seven patients (2 during hospitalization and 5 during follow-up) died, 6 for a reason unrelated to AC, and 1 succumbed to a sepsis-related condition caused by uncontrolled cholecystitis progression. Elective cholecystectomy was performed in 6 patients. PC was a definitive treatment in 63.9% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PC is a safe and efficient treatment option for patients with AC who are less eligible for surgery. After patients recover from PC, further treatment such as cholecystectomy may not be needed.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Gastroenterology, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Tuzla †Department of Surgery, General Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zerem
authors.forename: Safet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Omerović
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D041881:Cholecystitis, Acute / Q000601:surgery*; D002767:Cholecystostomy / Q000379:methods*; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome