“…In the RCT by Gutt et al [19], the group of patients (n=314) operated on at days 7 to 45 after hospital admission had no difference in conversion rates when compared to patients undergoing cholecystectomy within 24 h. However, it needs to be emphasised that this trial was performed in a tertiary unit where the surgeons would have the experience and expertise to operate on difficult cases. However, in a retrospective review [36] of 202 patients, there were no differences in conversion rate or complication rates in patients who underwent cholecystectomy between 4 days and 5 weeks of onset of symptoms, as compared to those who underwent surgery within 72 h or beyond 5 weeks. In other retrospective reviews, patients who underwent cholecystectomy between 3 and 10 days [46], 4 and 21 days [47], 4 and 8 days [48] and 4 days and 6 weeks [41] after onset of symptoms or hospital admission did not have increased morbidity, mortality or conversion rate when compared to patients who underwent surgery within 72 h. Another retrospective review [49] found that the conversion rate to open cholecystectomy increased from 10 % in patients operated on within 2 days of onset of symptoms to 16 % in those operated on 3-4 days to 39 % for those operated on 5 days or more after onset of symptoms.…”