Abstract Subtotal cholecystectomy has been carried out on 11 patients during a 5-year period, constituting 3.8 per cent of cholecystectomies performed during this time. The indications were severe inflammation/fibrosis in six patients, portal hypertension in three and the Mirizzi syndrome in two patients. There were no deaths and only minor in-hospital morbidity. One patient developed a common bile duct stone 21 months after the operation. None of the remaining patients has to date developed postcholecystectomy sequelae (mean follow-up period 29 (range 1–62) months). Subtotal cholecystectomy is a safe, straightforward and definitive operation in patients for whom standard cholecystectomy could be dangerous, and is a more attractive proposition than cholecystostomy.