Cholecystitis in the Elderly Patient

Abstract

Chronic cholecystitis, with cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis, and acute cholecystitis occur more frequently in elderly persons than in younger ones. Because of the serious and often fatal complications which these conditions cause, cholecystectomy should be advised for chronic cholecystitis with stones whenever the condition exists. Elderly patients for whom operation is not strongly contraindicated tolerate simple cholecystectomy well.

Acute cholecystitis usually is best managed by early surgical treatment.

The most common condition requiring abdominal surgical treatment in the aged is disease of the biliary tract.