CLINICAL PICTURE AND TREATMENT OF CHOLELI THIASIS IN ELDERLY AND OLD PATIENTS

The article analyses the results of surgical treatment of 110 patients aged over 70 with acute cholecystitis. All of them underwent cholecys tectomy with intraoperative cholangiography: choledocholithiasis was f ound in 26.4 % and stricture of the distal choledochus in 10.0 % of ca ses. Postoperative complications developed in 19 % of patients, the mo rtality rate was 5.45 %. Simultaneously, 72 elderly and old-aged patie nts were operated on for chronic calculous cholecystitis after thoroug h examination and preoperative management. Postoperative complications occurred in 13.9 % of cases, none of the patients died. The authors c onclude that in adequate preoperative management, careful choice of th e method of anesthesia, and substantiated postoperative management, ch olecystectomy is the operation of choice in acute calculous cholecysti tis in patients over 70 years of age. Planned operations are very advi sable in chronic calculous cholecystitis in patients of this age group for the prevention of severe complications, if adequte treatment of c oncomitant diseases is applied.