Results Results: operative time ranged from nine to 180 minutes. The length of stay ranged from 24 to 120 hours. Conversion occurred in 28 patients (2.92%), of which 67.9% were women and 28.6% men, a minilaparotomy having been performed in 11 cases (39.3%) and in 17 (60.7%) the conventional open route. The perioperative complications were two ruptures of the gallbladder, a failure in the pneumoperitoneum and in clipping of the cystic duct. Post-operative complications were five umbilical incisional hernias. Systemic complications were: nine arrhythmias, one postoperative jaundice, one acute myocardial infarction and one mesenteric infarction. Mortality occurred in three patients (0.3%), one due to perioperative myocardial infarction, one due to sepsis and one because of the mesenteric infarction. Conclusion Conclusion Conclusion Conclusion Conclusion: elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy had low hospital stay and low morbimortality. The operative time and hospital stay were short, demonstrating that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is safe and effective in the elderly.

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