The first 1000 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) at our institution were reviewed to investigate the impact of previous abdominal surgery on LC. The 454 patients having no previous abdominal surgery (NS) were compared to the 541 patients who had previous surgery (PS). PS patients were older, more likely to be female, and had a higher ASA risk category. PS patients had a higher incidence of wound infection, but in all other parameters of outcome, including operative duration and completion, length of hospitalization, and morbidity, there were no significant differences between PS and NS. When PS patients with previous upper abdominal surgery (PUAS, n = 59) were separately compared to the remainder of the entire patient group (NUAS, n = 936), the PUAS group was found to be older, to be more likely to be male, and to have a higher ASA risk category. PUAS patients had a longer postoperative hospitalization, and an increased incidence of intraoperative, postoperative, and total complications, readmissions to the hospital, and unrelated deaths. We conclude previous lower abdominal surgery has little impact on the outcome of patients undergoing LC while previous upper abdominal surgery is associated with increased morbidity.