Utility of Tokyo guidelines and intraoperative safety steps in improving the outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in complex acute calculus cholecystitis: a prospective study

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in complicated acute calculus cholecystitis (ACC) poses multiple challenges. This prospective, observational study assessed the utility and safety of a set protocol and intraoperative steps in LC for complex ACC. All cases of ACC from 2008 to 2018 were graded as per Tokyo guidelines; moderate and severe ACC were termed as ‘complex ACC (CACC).’ Patients were subjected to upfront LC or percutaneous drainage (PCD) followed by LC. Seven intraoperative safety steps were used to achieve critical view of safety (CVS). Use of safety steps, duration of surgery, and length of hospital stay were compared between moderate and severe ACC; complications were classified using Clavien–Dindo classification. We analyzed 145 patients with moderate (74.5%) and severe (25.5%) ACC. There were significantly more male (p = 0.0059) and older (p = 0.0006) patients with severe ACC. Upfront LC was performed in 81.4%; PCD required in 6.9%. Timing of LC from symptom onset was