Cholecystectomy in cirrhotic patients: pitfalls and reasonable recommendations.

ABSTRACT

Cholecystectomy in cirrhotic patients remains a high risk procedure. The recent literature was reviewed in the objective to elaborate (evidence-based) recommendations for therapeutic decision. In patients with Child Pugh A or B cirrhosis, the laparoscopic approach should be preferred as it is associated with reduced morbidity and mortality as compared with open surgery (level B). In patients with decompensated Child Pugh C cirrhosis, the scarcity of literature data renders much more hazardous the definition of robust recommendations. In these patients, two options have to be considered beyond early laparoscopic cholecystectomy first, a delayed surgery, in order to improve the preoperative patient's general condition and namely the coagulation, and second, a percutaneous drainage in very severe cases (level C).