THE RESULTS OF USING ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR TREATMENT OF CALCULOUS CHOLECYSTITIS

Two alternative methods for the treatment of calculous cholecystitis a re evaluated: extracorporeal lithotripsy was performed in 284 patients , laparoscopic cholecystectomy - in 130 patients. Even in strict selec tion of patients, lithotripsy was ineffective in 32 of them and they w ere subjected to an operation; in another group of patients eliminatio n of the fragments from the gallbladder was incomplete. Therefore, ext racorporeal lithotripsy may be used in no more than 10 % of patients w ith cholelithiasis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was conducted in 130 patients. In 6 (4.5 %) of them the operation had to be completed by la parotomy because complications occurred during the laparoscopic interv ention. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has some obvious advantages over open cholecystectomy: easier postoperative period, early activation of the patients, a good cosmetic effect. However, to determine the bound aries and possibilities of this method accumulation of experience is n eeded.