In gallstone pancreatitis without organ failure, when should cholecystectomy be performed?

• A. Immediately during pancreatitis attack
• B. After several months
• C. Never
• D. During the same admission after stabilization

Answer: (D)

The key idea is definitive management of a mild gallstone–induced pancreatitis by removing the gallbladder once the patient is stabilized. In these cases, performing cholecystectomy during the same hospital stay after the pancreatitis has resolved minimizes the risk of recurrent biliary pancreatitis while avoiding the higher surgical risk of operating during acute inflammation. Immediate surgery during the attack is riskier because the gallbladder and surrounding tissues are inflamed, making dissection harder and increasing complications. Waiting months leaves the patient vulnerable to another episode and another admission. So, the best timing is to proceed with cholecystectomy in the same admission after stabilization.