Twelve hundred open cholecystectomies before the laparoscopic era. A standard for comparison.

Records of 1200 consecutive open cholecystectomies, performed by a teaching service of a large, urban hospital in the years immediately preceding the laparoscopic era, were reviewed for morbidity and mortality rates. The mortality rate in this series was 1.8%, chiefly in the older age groups. Only two ductal injuries were incurred. A review of published series from 1952 through 1990 revealed a mean mortality rate of 1.53%. These recent observations on the morbidity and mortality after open operation should provide a useful standard of comparison with ongoing similar studies of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.