Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in the Elderly: An Experience at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Western Nepal

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gallstone increases with increasing age. No studies have been reported in the elderly population with laparoscopic cholecystectomy from developing nations. The aim of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy between the elderly (≥60 years old) and the young (<60 years old). METHODS: From July 2015 to June 2016, a retrospective review of medical records of 78 elderly patients (≥60 years old) and 164 young patients (<60 years old) who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy was done. The patients' demographics and perioperative outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Median ages were 65 years (range: 60–80) and 45 years (range: 21–59) for the elderly group and the young group. The majority of patients were female (62.8 and 72%). There were no significant differences in the conversion rate (9 and 7.9%, P = 0.78), postoperative complications (17.9 and 14.6%, P = 0.50), and length of stay in the hospital (4 days for both groups, P = 0.35) between the two groups. There was no mortality in either of the groups. CONCLUSION: Our results of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in elderly patients are comparable with those in young patients. Therefore, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is safe even in the elderly population.