Background: Recent studies have suggested that urgent cholecystectomy is the preferred
treatment for acute cholecystitis. However, initial conservative treatment followed by delayed
elective surgery is still common practice in many medical centers. Objectives: To determine
the effect of percutaneous cholecystostomy on surgical outcome in patients undergoing
delayed elective cholecystectomy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all
patients admitted to our medical center with acute cholecystitis who were treated by …

CONCLUSIONS The lesson from this study should not be limited to the numbers and
statistics, which are not really surprising. It should raise a red flag to the policy makers at all
levels: surgery departments, hospitals, and the Israeli Ministry of Health. Our treatment of
patients with acute cholecystitis is wrong, probably more expensive, maybe more
dangerous, and certainly outside the standards as defined by studies and experts and
practiced in Western countries. Resources should be allocated to enable early surgery for …