Acute cholecystitis in pregnancy: Retrospective evaluation of 21 patients

Objective: We aimed to evaluate our diagnosis and treatment approach to pregnant patients with acute cholecystitis in our high birth rate region. Methods: Twenty-one patients who suffering from acute cholecystitis during their pregnancy were analyzed retrospectively between January 2010 August 2014 at Harran University Medical School, Department of General Surgery. Treatment methods, complications, demographic and laboratory data were recorded for each patient. Results: Twenty one patients with abdominal pain and diagnosed as acute cholecystitis were included in this study. The mean age and gestational weeks of patients were 28 ± 7.4 years, 23.4 ± 8.5 respectively. Upper abdominal pain and nausea-vomiting were the most frequent complaints of the patients to hospital admissions. For the surgical treatment one patient underwent open cholecystectomy due to bladder perforation during the second trimester of her pregnancy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed in one patient due to recurrent cholecystitis and in two patients due to decline cholecystitis findings. All other patients were treated medically. Maternal or fetal complication after treatment was not observed. Conclusion: Although, during pregnancy acute cholecystitis episodes are seen rare successful results can be obtained with medical therapy. When medical therapy has failed, especially in the second trimester, laparoscopic surgery can be considered as reliable surgical intervention for mother and fetus