In a retrospective study of 610 patients the role of routine gastroscopy prior to cholecystectomy was investigated. The results demonstrated that only in a low incidence (11% of patients gastroscopied) relevant findings are present. However, most of these patients had a typical history. Therefore, despite risks, routine preoperative endoscopy prior to cholecystectomy should be performed only in patients with a history of upper abdominal pain or discomfort.