THE AGE FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERIOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS DURING THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF CALCULOUS CHOLECYSTITIS

Summary. Elderly and senile patients in surgery are associated with numerous concomitant diseases, reduced functional reserve and high anesthetic risk. Aim. To assess the frequency and nature of perioperative complications in elderly and senile patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute or chronic calculous cholecystitis. Materials and methods. We analyzed the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of intraoperative and postoperative complications in 180 patients aged 60 to 90 years (elderly and senile) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute or chronic calculous cholecystitis. The comparison group consisted of 200 patients aged 25 to 44 years. The procedure of choice in all patients was laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Results. In elderly and senile patients, intraoperative complications occurred more often (p<0.05) than in patients under 44 years of age. No significant differences were observed only in the frequency of intraoperative bleeding from the gallbladder artery, in the intrahepatic localization of the gallbladder, in the frequency of local peritonitis and gallbladder hydrops. In 20 (11.1 %) cases, there was a need for conversion (p=0.0002). Complications occurred in 29.4 % of cases, against 10.5 % in young patients (p<0.001). The difference in the number of minor complications: Clavien Dindo-1, Clavien Dindo-2 and Clavien Dindo-2a was improbable. Clavien Dindo-2b (5.0 %) (p<0.05), Clavien Dindo-3 (5.0 %) (p<0.05) and Clavien Dindo-4 (4.4 %) (p<0.05) complications occurred more often. Conclusions. Patients over 60 years of age are more likely (p<0.05) to have intraoperative problems during laparoscopic cholecystectomy and have a higher (p<0.05) risk of severe complications that require invasive procedures or may cause patient death.