Retrospective comparison of clinical outcomes of ultrasound-guided percutaneous cholecystostomy in patients with and without coagulopathy: a single center's experience.

Purpose: To compare the complication rate and clinical outcomes for percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) in patients with or without coagulopathy.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical chart of patients who underwent ultrasound-guided PC with a 8.5-F drainage tube for acute cholecystitis between November 2003 and March 2017. We divided the patients into two groups: patients with coagulopathy (international normalized ratio > 1.5 or platelet count < 50 × 10/L or with a history of anticoagulant medication in preceding 5 days) and patients without coagulopathy. Duration of drainage, duration of hospital stay, 30-day mortality and complication rates were compared between these two groups. Student's t test, Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used for bivariate analyses. Age, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI) and sepsis-adjusted complication rates were also compared.

Results: In total, 141 patients had PC (mean age was 73.3 years [SD 13.3]; range 33-96 years; 94 men and 47 women). Fifty-two patients (36.9%) had coagulopathy and 89 patients (63.1%) were without any history of coagulopathy. Hemorrhagic complication rate was 3.5% (5 out of 141 patients, including 4 with coagulopathy and 1 without). One patient with coagulopathy died due to the hemorrhage. Duration of drainage was longer in patients with coagulopathy than patients without coagulopathy (20.0 days vs. 14.8 days; P = 0.033). No significant difference was observed with regard to duration of hospital stay (32.3 days vs. 25.6 days; P = 0.103) and 30-day mortality (7.7% vs. 1.1%; P = 0.062). The overall complication rate did not significantly differ (9.6% and 11.2%; P = 0.763), nor did age, ACCI or sepsis-adjusted complications.

Conclusion: Clinical outcomes and complications rates after PC did not statistically differ between patients with and without coagulopathy, but there was a tendency of higher risk of hemorrhage in coagulopathy patients. Therefore, the indication of this procedure should be carefully determined.