| Summary: | Objectives. The incidence of acute cholecystitis increases with age, when patients
usually associate additional comorbidities. Such comorbidities and the late
presentation to the doctor make the treatment more complex, associating higher
rates of complications. The present study aims to evaluate the methods of diagnosis
and treatment applied to a group of older patients with acute cholecystitis. Materials
and Methods. 585 patients were enrolled in the study between 2019 and 2023. The
inclusion criteria in the study were represented by the presence of the diagnosis of
acute cholecystitis in patients over 65 years of age, while patients who presented
complex locoregional pathologies (trauma, cancer, etc.) were excluded. Results. In
about 91% of cases, acute cholecystitis was determined by gallstones. 61.19% of
cases benefited from laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the rest of the patients
requiring additional procedures or open surgery. Morbidity and mortality were not
significantly influenced, but some of the patients required complex interventions
and longer hospital stay. Conclusions. The clinical manifestations of acute
cholecystitis can be diminished in some of the elderly patients (neurological
disorders, diabetes, immunosenescence, etc.), being initially appreciated as mild
forms. Later it is found (by imaging or intraoperatively) that these are much more
severe forms, which often require a customized therapeutic approach.
|
|---|