Objective To study the suitable operation method of elderly patients with acute cholecystitis. Methods The clinical data of 149 elderly patients with acute cholecystitis were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into two groups according to the operation: open cholecystectomy group (OC group, n=76) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy group (LC group, n=73). Some clinical data were compared in this paper such as operation time, blood loss, length of hospital stay, time of resumption of food, time of intestinal function recovery and complications. Results No marked difference was found between OC group and LC group about basic data except WBC count and examination of gallbladder by B ultrasound（P＞0.05）. But there were significant difference in operation time, blood loss, time of resumption of food, time of intestinal function recovery, length of hospital stay and complications between OC group and LC group （P＜0.01）. Conclusion Individualized treatment should be emphasized on elderly patients with acute cholecystitis. Selection of OC or LC to these patients should be based on the clinical condition and taken the safety as the first principle.