The safety, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for patients with mild acute biliary pancreatitis: A meta-analysis.

Background: It remains controversial on the optimal timing of cholecystectomy for patients with mild acute biliary pancreatitis. This study aimed at comparing the safety, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ELC, within 72 h after admission) versus delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy (DLC, beyond 72 h after admission) for patients with mild acute biliary pancreatitis.

Methods: We performed a systematic search in the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane library.