Reviewer's report 
 Cholecystectomy in Sweden 2000 - 2003: a nationwide study on procedures, patient characteristics, Title: 
and mortality 
 3  18 April 2007 Version: Date: 
 Thomas P. Hüttl Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
Rosenmüller et al. present a very interesting paper with well-elaborated data based on a National Swedish registry. The data gives us an excellent review about prevalence, morbidity and mortality of laparoscopic and 
conventional open cholecystectomy during a 4 year period in an European country. 
Especially data about readmission rate, interventions and deaths during readmission over a one year follow-up is a matter of particular interest for Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and General practicioners. I miss the differentiation in primary open treated patients and patients with conversion to open procedure. 
Probably there is a bias to the disadvantages of open cholecystectomy.This problem should be discussed in 
the paper. 
Alltogether the authors present a very nice paper suitable for publishing im BMC Medicine. 
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Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can be 
reached) None 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the author can be trusted to correct) see above 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Appropriate or potentially appropriate for BMC Medicine: an article of importance in its Which journal?: 
field 
 Accept for publication in BMC Medicine after discretionary revisions What next?: 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 No Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
I declare that I have no competing interests. 
Reviewer's report 
 Cholecystectomy in Sweden 2000 - 2003: a nationwide study on procedures, patient characteristics, Title: 
and mortality 
 3  18 April 2007 Version: Date: 
 Thomas P. Hüttl Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
Rosenmüller et al. present a very interesting paper with well-elaborated data based on a National Swedish registry. The data gives us an excellent review about prevalence, morbidity and mortality of laparoscopic and 
conventional open cholecystectomy during a 4 year period in an European country. 
Especially data about readmission rate, interventions and deaths during readmission over a one year follow-up is a matter of particular interest for Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and General practicioners. I miss the differentiation in primary open treated patients and patients with conversion to open procedure. 
Probably there is a bias to the disadvantages of open cholecystectomy.This problem should be discussed in 
the paper. 
Alltogether the authors present a very nice paper suitable for publishing im BMC Medicine. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can be 
reached) None 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the author can be trusted to correct) see above 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Appropriate or potentially appropriate for BMC Medicine: an article of importance in its Which journal?: 
field 
 Accept for publication in BMC Medicine after discretionary revisions What next?: 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 No Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
I declare that I have no competing interests. 
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report 
 Cholecystectomy in Sweden 2000 - 2003: a nationwide study on procedures, patient characteristics, Title: 
and mortality 
 3  18 April 2007 Version: Date: 
 Thomas P. Hüttl Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
Rosenmüller et al. present a very interesting paper with well-elaborated data based on a National Swedish registry. The data gives us an excellent review about prevalence, morbidity and mortality of laparoscopic and 
conventional open cholecystectomy during a 4 year period in an European country. 
Especially data about readmission rate, interventions and deaths during readmission over a one year follow-up is a matter of particular interest for Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and General practicioners. I miss the differentiation in primary open treated patients and patients with conversion to open procedure. 
Probably there is a bias to the disadvantages of open cholecystectomy.This problem should be discussed in 
the paper. 
Alltogether the authors present a very nice paper suitable for publishing im BMC Medicine. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Major Compulsory Revisions (that the author must respond to before a decision on publication can be 
reached) None 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Minor Essential Revisions (such as missing labels on figures, or the wrong use of a term, which the author can be trusted to correct) see above 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Discretionary Revisions (which the author can choose to ignore) 
 Appropriate or potentially appropriate for BMC Medicine: an article of importance in its Which journal?: 
field 
 Accept for publication in BMC Medicine after discretionary revisions What next?: 
 Acceptable Quality of written English: 
 No Statistical review: 
Declaration of competing interests: 
I declare that I have no competing interests. 
assistant