[Gallbladder extirpation in The Netherlands; frequency, surgical mortality and postoperative complications (1987-1989)].

In view of the fast-growing popularity of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a retrospective analysis was made of 'traditional' cholecystectomy in the Netherlands in the period 1987-1989 (data provided by the Health Care Information Centre Foundation), as compared with the period 1979-1981 (data provided by the Medical Registration Foundation). As regards frequency, the number of cholecystectomies had decreased by 25.5% compared with the period 1979-1981. The number of cholecystectomies with exploration of the choledochus had decreased by 43.8%. The surgical mortality in the period 1987-1989 amounted to 1.4%. Postoperative complications, including wound infections, were relatively infrequent, occurring in 4.3% and 1.5%, respectively, of the patients. Acute cholecystitis, age greater than 70 years and choledochus exploration proved to be risk factors with substantially higher surgical mortality and postoperative morbidity.