Difficult Acute Cholecystitis. Treatment and Technical Issues

1 Anatomy of the gallbladder and biliary tract.- 2 Pathophysiology and diagnosis of acute calculous cholecystitis.- 3 Pathophysiology and diagnosis of acute acalculous cholecystitis.- 4 Guidelines for the management of acute cholecystitis.- 5 Tokyo Guidelines and their limits.- 6 Preoperative evaluation and management of acute cholecystitis: Optimal timing and surgical approach.- 7 Preoperative evaluation and decision making. When to operate and by which approach: Tube cholecystostomy.- 8 Difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Intra-operative evaluation.- 9 Difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Timing for conversion.- 10 Difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy: When to convert to open technique.- 11 When it's safe to continue laparoscopically.- 12 Open partial or subtotal cholecystectomy: techniques and indications.- 13 Laparoscopic sub total cholecystectomy and other laparoscopic techniques.- 14 Indocyanine green role in acute cholecystitis.- 15 How to avoid CBD injuries and their classification.- 16 Iatrogenic lesions of the biliary tree: the role of a multidisciplinary approach

This extensive and yet easy-to-read book covers technical aspects of the management of difficult acute cholecystitis. It discusses diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and strategies for avoiding and managing complications based on both evidence-based data and the experiences of the editor and the international contributors. Further, it analyses the latest guidelines to find the best clinical applications. Each chapter describes the current diagnostic and management strategies, focusing on a possible risk stratification by scores proposed in literature.

Lastly, the book describes the relevant technical considerations and tips and tricks, explaining them in full. Illustrated throughout and including line graphs depicting fundamental anatomic and technical principles, making it easy-to understand, it is a useful toolkit for all residents, fellows and general surgeons needing a guide to the treatment of difficult acute cholecystits.

Isidoro Di Carlo is Professor of Surgery at the Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies of the University of Catania and Senior Consultant in General Surgery at the Cannizzaro Hospital of Catania, Italy. His specific area of interest is acute care surgery, hepato-biliary surgery and vascular access for cancer patients; in these areas he has developed new techniques and procedures. He has organized several meetings and started several research studies both at national and international level. Prof. Di Carlo is the author of numerous publications in specialized journals, and has been the editor of five surgical books, one of which has been translated into Chinese. He is an honorary member of many surgical societies, is a member of several editorial boards, and has participated in national and international congresses as an invited speaker.