Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Aged Patients

Background/Aim: The life-span of humans increased and the prevalence of gallstones has also increased with age. The aim of this study is to examine the associations between age and clinical outcomes in the patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Methodology: A total of 627 patients receiving LC were categorized into three different age groups. Group I was defined as less than 65 years of age (n=510), group II as 65 to 79 (n=100) and group III as more than 80 (n=17). Clinical characteristics of these patients and surgical outcomes were analyzed. Results: Rates of conversion and major complications were similar among three age groups. Group III had a significantly longer length of perioperative hospital stay compared to groups I or II. However, rates of minor complication appeared to be higher as age progressed (group I: 0.6%; group II: 6.0%; group III: 17.6%). In multivariable-adjusted modeling, groups II and III respectively, had a 7.1-fold (95% CI: 1.3-38.1, p=0.023) and 34.1 (95% CI: 3.8-310.8, p=0.002) higher risk of having minor complications than group I patients. Conclusion: LC is a safe and accepted procedure in aged patients with uncomplicated gallbladder stones disease, but it may be associated with increased postoperative morbidity.