Open cholecystectomy for all patients in the era of laparoscopic surgery - a prospective cohort study.

Background: Open cholecystectomy through a small incision is an alternative to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods: From 1 January 2002 through 31 December 2003, all operations upon the gallbladder in a district hospital with emergency admission and responsibility for surgical training were done as intended small-incision open cholecystectomy.

Results: 182 women and 90 men with a median age of 56 (interquartile range 45 to 68 years) underwent cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallbladder disease, 170 as elective and 102 as emergency cases.