IntroductionThe incidence of acute cholecystitis (AC) increases with age, ranging from 20% to 30% among elderly individuals, and up to 80% among institutionalized elderly patients aged > 90 years. Furthermore, > 90% AC cases are closely associated with cholelithiasis [1]. A previous study has shown that the prevalence of gallstones and AC is correlated with age [2]. The standard treatment of AC is laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in young adults [3]. However, the safety of LC for elderly patients remains controversial owing to them having increased comorbidity risks [4]. Reduced physiologic reserve increases the risk of morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. High rates of morbidity and mortality make it challenging for surgeons to select an optimal operative management strategy [5]. Thus, many clinicians considered percutaneous biliary drainage to avoid administration of general anesthesia and surgery [6]. However, there was no clinical evidence to support this concern. Recently, perioperative care for elderly patients and LC technique has been improved, which reduces the risk associated with LC. The demand of surgery for AC has increased, and thus there is a need to evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of LC in super-elderly patients (≥ 80 years) compared with elderly patients (≤ 65-79 years).