Subtotal cholecystectomy leads to a 13.3% chance of remnant cholecystitis, impacting surgical decision-making for complex cases.

• Cumulative incidence of remnant cholecystitis was 13.3% within 2 years, with most cases appearing within the first 6 months.
• Only 2.6% of patients required completion cholecystectomy, which was often performed open and linked to a 7.1% bile duct injury rate.

Referral to specialized hepato-biliary centers may improve outcomes for these reoperations.