Lights off, camera on! Laparoscopic cholecystectomy improves outcomes in cirrhotic patients with acute cholecystitis

Background The best surgical approach to treat acute cholecystitis (AC) in cirrhotic patients is controversial. This study aimed to evaluate treatment options in cirrhotic patients with AC. We hypothesized that laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) would lead to better clinical outcomes when compared to non‐operative management (NOM) and open cholecystectomy (OC), independent of the severity of liver cirrhosis. Methods Patients from the National Inpatient Sample diagnosed with AC were stratified into no cirrhosis (NC), compensated cirrhosis (CC), and decompensated cirrhosis (DC) and analyzed according to treatment: NOM, OC, and LC. Primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay (HLOS), cost, and surgical complications. Univariate and multivariate analyses using generalized linear models were performed. A P