A narrative review compares surgical and non-surgical strategies for acute cholelithiasis in the elderly, indicating the need for personalized approaches.
Conclusions: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains the gold standard for acute gallstone disease but carries higher morbidity and mortality in elderly patients due to comorbidities and frailty. Non-operative approaches such as percutaneous cholecystostomy, or antibiotic therapy may reduce immediate surgical risk but are associated with higher recurrence and readmission rates. Optimal management requires an individualised, multidisciplinary approach considering physiological reserve, inflammatory markers, and patient preference. More prospective studies are needed to standardise risk stratification and management pathways specific to geriatric patients with acute cholelithiasis.
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Chowdhury et al. (2026) studied this question.
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