[Cholecystectomy in children: our experience with 37 cases].

INTRODUCTION: The indications of cholecystectomy in children had undergone a gradual change and the number of cholecystectomies had increased, considering to the laparoscopic cholecystectomy of election. OBJECTIVE: To determine the indications, type of cholecystectomy, operative time, hospital stay, associate complications, concomitant procedures and pathologic findings. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Descriptive study. Revision of 37 clinical histories of cholecystectomics patients. RESULTS: We evaluate 37 patients (16 boys and 21 girls) with age average 9 years. The indications were: cholelithiasis 33, acute cholecystitis 2, gallbladder tumor 1 and septate gallbladder 1.68% were laparoscopic cholecystectomies (operative time: 84 minutes and hospital stay: 8 days) and 32% open cholecystectomies (operative time: 103 minutes and hospital stay: 14 days). Laparoscopic complication was one unexpectec opening of common hepatic duct. Concomitant procedures were: 9 intraoperative cholangiography, 5 hepatic biopsies, 3 splenectomies, 2 appendectomies. The pathologic anatomy showed: chronic lithiasic cholecystitis 30, normal gallbladder 3, chronic cholecystitis 1, gallbladder adenocarcinoma 1, chronic inflammatory changes 2. CONCLUSIONS: The main indication of cholecystectomy was the cholelithiasis. The majority were laparoscopic cholecystectomies with shorter operative time and shorter hospital stay. The intraoperative cholangiography, hepatic biopsy and splenectomy were the more frequent concomitant procedures. Main pathologic finding was the chronic lithiasic cholecystitis.