Efficacy and Complications Comparison Between Emergent and Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Surgery

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the preferred surgical procedure for treating symptomatic gallstone (GS) disease. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the outcomes of emergent and elective LC, focusing on complications, conversion rates, duration of surgery (DOS), length of hospital stay, and post-operative pain. Methods: A total of 166 patients who underwent LC surgery at Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, Iran, between 2021 and 2022 were included in the study. Of these, 64 patients underwent emergent LC, and 102 underwent elective LC. The groups were compared for complications, conversion rates, DOS, length of hospital stay, and post-operative pain. Results: The study revealed that while intraoperative complications did not differ significantly between the two groups (P = 0.14), there was a significant difference in the conversion of surgical methods from three to four trocars (P = 0.007). Additionally, more patients in the emergent group required drain insertion during surgery (P = 0.003). Regarding post-operative outcomes, no significant differences were observed between the emergent and elective LC groups in terms of local (P = 0.77) and systemic complications (P = 0.37). However, patients in the elective LC group experienced a significantly shorter post-operative hospital stay (P = 0.002). Pain levels one day (1.02 ± 0.80) and one week (0.14 ± 0.43) after surgery were lower in the elective LC group. Furthermore, patients in the elective group returned to daily activities earlier (3.77 ± 1.21 days). Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that emergent LC is as safe as elective LC. However, patients undergoing elective LC may benefit from a shorter recovery period and reduced post-operative pain. Overall, LC remains a low-risk and safe option for managing emergent gallstone cases.