Laparoscopic tube cholecystostomy.

Tube cholecystostomy was offered to 100 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy as an alternative to open surgery should the gallbladder be found too severely inflamed for safe removal. At the time of surgery, three of the 100 patients had gallbladders judged too severely inflamed for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. They therefore underwent laparoscopic placement of a cholecystostomy tube. The patients received 48 h of antibiotics in the hospital and then underwent tube drainage for 4-6 weeks as outpatients. They returned to the hospital for interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The three patients underwent successful interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There were no complications. Of the 100 patients in the study, conversion to open cholecystectomy was not necessary for any of the patients. Tube cholecystostomy is a safe and effective procedure. It should reduce the number of patients who require open surgery for removal of the gallbladder.