Early operation for acute gallbladder as a therapeutic principle

Abstract

Between 1 January 1969 and 30 June 1984 904 patients with acute cholecystitis were treated as inpatients. Including 1976, initial treatment was conservative, and interval operation was recommended after 6-8 weeks. Commencing in 1977 early operation was preferred. Immediate operation within a few hours after admission and preparation for operation was done only in threatening or demonstrable complications of acute cholecystitis. Multimorbidity was highest (39%) in conservatively treated patients (n = 204), it was 26% in immediately operated patients (n = 201) and 23% in patients operated in the interval (n = 199). Early operation (n = 300) was associated with a multimorbidity of only 13%. Postoperative complications occurred most frequently (33%) after immediate operation, and in only 11% after early operation. Exploration of the choledochus was required in 27% of immediately operated cases and in only 19% of early and interval operations. Mortality after exclusively conservative treatment was 3%, after immediate operation 16%, after interval operation 3% and after early operation only 1.3%. Follow-up assessment of 137 primarily non-operated patients (7-15 years) showed a mortality of 48% on subsequently necessary immediate operation (16 out of 33 patients). No symptoms were seen in 14 out of 32 patients, only two of them had no gallstones. The high reliability of establishing the diagnosis (98% correct diagnosis) justifies early operation as preferred concept of treatment. Primary conservative treatment of acute cholecystitis and subsequently planned interval operation should be limited to justifiable exceptions.