Mortality associated with open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy Causas de mortalidad por colecistectomía tradicional y laparoscópica 1991-2010

Abstract

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is nowadays the standard surgical treatment for cholelithiasis. Aim: To determine surgical mortality of laparoscopic cholecystectomy as compared with the open procedure. Material and Methods: Review of medical records of all patients subjected to open or laparoscopic surgery in a surgical service of a clinical hospital, in a period of 20 years. Results: The records of 26.441 patients were reviewed. The figures for overall, open and laparoscopic surgery mortality were 0.16, 0.39 and 0.07% respectively. Only two of the 43 deceased patients, died as a direct complication of the surgical procedure. In the rest, the causes of mortality were underlying severe medical conditions. Conclusions: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has a very low mortality that depends mostly on underlying medical conditions and advanced age.