When to Operate for Acute Cholecystitis

In a patient who has acute cholecystitis, the surgeon will get the best results if he operates within 72 hours after symptoms start. During the acute phase, edema and lack of fibrinous or fibrous reaction make the gallbladder easier to remove. In this series the same surgeon did 250 consecutive operations for acute cholecystitis. Only four patients died, and less than 10 percent had complications.