Background: When to perform cholecystectomy after endoscopic clearance of common bile duct (CBD) stones in patients presenting with acute cholangitis remains conjectural. This study aims to determine whether laparoscopic cholecystectomy is feasible and safe shortly after cholangitis resolves. Methods: From 1997 to 2003, a total of 825 cholecystectomies were performed in our unit. Among them 102 patients had laparoscopic cholecystectomy attempted after an attack of acute cholangitis for which the CBD was cleared of stones by ERCP. Two surgical teams with different working protocols but similar level of expertise in laparoscopic surgery were operating on these patients during the study period. One team routinely performed early cholecystectomy within 2 weeks, while the other team offered only interval cholecystectomy some 8 weeks to 12 weeks after clearance of CBD by ERCP. Data of the two groups of patients (early and interval) were reviewed and compared. Results: Laparoscopic early (EC) and interval cholecystectomy (IC) were attempted in 34 and 68 patients, respectively. They were comparable in terms of age, gender ratio, ASA risk and the severity of cholangitis. The mean operating time for EC and IC were 107mins and 103mins, respectively (p = 0.72). Conversion was required in 18 patients: 2 in the EC group due to severe edema and adhesion, and 16 in the IC group due to adhesion (n=13), bleeding (n=2) and severe cholecystitis (n=1) (6% vs 24%, p = 0.03). Premature readmission was seen in 17 patients in the IC group but none in the EC group (p < 0.001). There was no mortality observed. The overall complication rates (8.8% vs 7.3%, p = 1) and total hospital stay (11.7 days vs 13.4 days, p = 0.14) between the two groups were statistically insignificant. Conclusions: Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is recommended for patients recovering from acute cholangitis because it is associated with less premature readmission and lower chance of conversion.