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Two alternative methods for the treatment of calculous cholecystitis are evaluated: extracorporeal lithotripsy was performed in 284 patients, laparoscopic cholecystectomy--in 130 patients. Even in strict selection of patients, lithotripsy was ineffective in 32 of them and they were subjected to an operation; in another group of patients elimination of the fragments from the gallbladder was incomplete. Therefore, extracorporeal lithotripsy may be used in no more than 10% of patients with cholelithiasis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was conducted in 130 patients. In 6 (4.5%) of them the operation had to be completed by laparotomy because complications occurred during the laparoscopic intervention. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has some obvious advantages over open cholecystectomy: easier postoperative period, early activation of the patients, a good cosmetic effect. However, to determine the boundaries and possibilities of this method accumulation of experience is needed.

The article analyses the efficacy of extracorporeal lithotripsy by a LT-01 piezoelectric lithotriptor (EDAP, France). A total of 72 lithotripsy sessions were performed on 37 patients, in 2 of them who suffered from chronic calculous cholecystitis the procedure was conducted on the day before the operation. As a method for treatment, extracorporeal lithotripsy was applied in 35 patients for the following indications: solitary and multiple stones measuring in sum no more than 3 cm in the satisfactory functioning of the gallbladder and patency of the bile ducts. In 35 patients the stones were crushed to fragments of various size. In 29 patients extracorporeal lithotripsy produced a marked effect and was the final method of treatment. Six patients were operated on (cholecystectomy) due to exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis in 4 patients, pancreatitis in one patient; total destruction of calcinated large stone fragments could not be achieved after 6 sessions in one patient.