Cholecystectomy After Percutaneous Cholecystostomy for Acute Cholecystitis: Experience and Outcomes in an Academic Practice

Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) tube insertion has been shown to be an effective treatment of acute cholecystitis (AC) as a temporary step to subsequent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). However, the optimal time gap between PC implantation and LC has not been identified. Adult patients who underwent PC followed by LC for the treatment of AC between 2016 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. One hundred twelve patients, consisting of 59.8% males, were included and received LC after a median of 65 [48 - 96.5] days following the PC placement. No deaths or reoperations occurred within 30 days, but 16 (14.3%) patients were readmitted, and 16 (14.3%) required subsequent reintervention. Although a longer interval between PC and LC had no effect on perioperative outcomes, it was associated with considerably longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay. According to these findings, patients may benefit from early LC following PC for the treatment of AC.

Automated summary

Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) tube insertion is an effective temporary treatment for acute cholecystitis (AC) before laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The optimal time gap between PC implantation and LC has not been determined. A retrospective analysis of adult patients who underwent PC followed by LC for AC showed that LC was performed after a median of 65 [48 - 96.5] days following PC placement. While no deaths or reoperations occurred within 30 days, some patients required readmission and reintervention. A longer interval between PC and LC did not affect perioperative outcomes but was associated with longer ICU stay.