Concomitant cholecystectomy and coronary artery bypass.

INTRODUCTION AND

METHODS

Cholelithiasis is a common disorder which may be present with coronary artery disease. Concomitant cholecystectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was performed in selected patients and retrospective study was performed to verify the safety of the concomitant surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 55 patients (41 males and 14 females, mean age 64.6 8.7 years) underwent concomitant cholecystectomy and CABG between 1992 and 2001 at the Shin-Tokyo Hospital Group. Exclusion from concomitant surgery was choledocholithiasis and/or acute cholecystitis. Cholecystectomy was performed via an upper abdominal incision extending the mid-sternal incision. In 48 patients (87.3%), the gastroepiploic artery (GEA) was used for coronary revascularization. The mean number of bypass grafts was 3.6 1.2. The mean operative time, intubation period, ICU stay, and postoperative hospital stay were 376 minutes, 15.6 hours, 3.9 days, and 23.0 days, respectively. Postoperative feeding was resumed 1 day after extubation. No intra-abdominal complications, delays in feeding, abdominal wound complications or postoperative bowel obstruction were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Concomitant surgery of cholecystectomy and CABG did not increase the postoperative complications, and it is a feasible procedure of choice.