Quality of life and surgical outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients over the age of 80: a retrospective study
Background: As the United Kingdom’s population ages an increasing number of patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy are over the age of eighty. The current literature base focuses on a younger patient cohort and fails to consider quality of life benefit from the intervention. Assessing quality of life benefit as well as operative morbidity and post-operative complications together is important in the assessment of whether patients of this age should be managed surgically or conservatively.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on all patients above the age of eighty undergoing elective cholecystectomy between January 2017 to January 2019 at a tertiary care centre in London. Intra-operative morbidity and post-operative complications were obtained from inpatient notes and quality of life was measured using the gastrointestinal quality of life questionnaire (GIQLI) pre and post operatively.Results: 120 patients over the age of eighty underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the three-year timeframe. 11% experienced post-operative complications. A statistically significant improvement in GIQLI score was noted post-operatively across all domains including social function, gastrointestinal symptoms, physical function and emotional function.Conclusions: Post-operative complication rates were higher amongst this cohort compared to series studying a younger cohort of patients. However, quality of life significantly benefited from the intervention for patients over the age of 80. Hence, amongst carefully selected patients, laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains a viable treatment option and can greatly benefit the individual.