title: Percutaneous cholecystostomy: A curative treatment modality forelderly and high ASA score acute cholecystitis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute cholecystitis (AC) is a common emergency seen by general surgeons. Optimal treatment is laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC); however, in cases where surgery cannot be performed due to high risk of morbidity and mortality, such as in elderly patients with comorbid diseases, other treatment modalities may be used. Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) is one alternative method to treat AC. PC can be used to provide drainage of the gall bladder and control infection. Subsequently, interval cholecystectomy can be performed when there are better conditions. Presently described is experience and results with PC in high risk, elderly patients with AC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of all consecutive patients who underwent PC between January 2011 and January 2014 were identified. Tokyo Guidelines were used for definitive diagnosis and severity assessment of AC. Senior surgeon elected to perform PC based on higher risk-benefit ratio due to comorbidity, age, or duration of symptoms. All PC procedures were performed by the same interventional radiologist under local anesthesia with ultrasonographic guidance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total of 40 PC procedures were performed during the study period. Of those, 22 (55%) were male and 18 were (45%) were female, with median age of 70.5 years (range: 52-87 years). All of the patients had American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of either 3 or 4. Success rate of PC was 100% with complication rate of 2.5% (n=1). One patient was operated on shortly after PC procedure due to bile peritonitis complication. PC drains were kept in place for 6 weeks. Total of 16 patients (40%) had surgery following removal of PC drain. In 3 (18.8%) cases, conversion from LC was required. Remaining 23 (57.5%) patients did not have subsequent operation after drain removal. No disease recurrence was observed in follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When elderly patients present in emergency setting with AC and LC cannot be performed due to comorbid disease or poor general condition, PC can be performed safely. After removal of PC drain, LC may be performed with acceptable conversion rate of 18.8%.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ümraniye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul-Turkey. mdkeremtolan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hüseyin Kerem
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Tolan
authors.forename: Aslıhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Semiz Oysu
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Başak
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Atak
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Özbağrıaçık
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Özpek
authors.forename: Mert
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaskal
authors.forename: Fikret
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ezberci
authors.forename: Gürhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baş
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D041881:Cholecystitis, Acute / Q000601:surgery*; D002767:Cholecystostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies