It is established that laparoscopic cholecystostomy presents the most acceptable method of gall bladder decompression in acute cholecystitis patients of advanced age comprising a high-risk group for surgery. Cholecystostomy efficiency reaches 97.2%. In case the procedure is not feasible in acute cholecystitis patients with intrahepatic position of the gall bladder or perivesicular adhesions the preference should be given to transhepatic drainage of the gall bladder whose effectiveness is 88.5%. An expedient method of laparoscopic decompression of the biliary tracts in mechanical jaundice due to tumor obstruction of the terminal part of the common bile duct is the formation of an external biliary fistula and "continuous" direct drainage of the gall bladder warranting satisfactory results in 93.3 and 100% of cases, respectively. Patients with a 1.5-week history of mechanical jaundice are not recommended transhepatic drainage, in longer duration of the jaundice (more than 1 month) it becomes contraindicated.